100 Themes Challenge: Raven x Rena
by Skyress8619
Summary: My attempt at the 100 Themes Challenge for the shipping Raven x Rena. Rated T for possible violence and gore.
1. Introduction

**Skyress8619 has logged in. **

**Skyress8619: Greetings, readers. **

**ViperCrow: Seriously, you should stop starting new things, especially something like an 100 themes challenge. It takes too much time, you're going to run out of inspiration, and it's going to die. You also have to take in the fact that you're going to be abandoning readers who think your work is actually good. **

**Skyress8619: I'm sorry I didn't take your advice before, and I'll acknowledge it once that happens. Anyway, the Soundtrack Collaboration needs me to continuously run older dungeons and fields, taking screenshots along the way just in case I need to do some visual analysis. So far, I haven't had the time to do any of that, well, I've only done Ruben. **

**Elsword: Then why don't you get a move on and start doing Elder? **

**Skyress8619: As I said, not enough time. Also, I need a better weapon, so I can do the usual screenshot thing in Secret Dungeons while I'm soloing and don't need to worry too much about dying. **

**ViperCrow: At least you're getting more skilful at dodging those shadow archers in Wally's Underground Laboratory. **

**Skyress8619: Alright, then. We should stop wasting too much time. As you all know, this is a 100 themes challenge, based on the shipping of Raven and Rena. Each prompt will be in a different chapter, which will vary greatly in length. I will list classes in each chapter, and will put author's notes if necessary, but usually at the end. The update speed should be fast at first before slowing down, and hopefully not stopping until I've finished. **

**Skyress8619: And before we begin, I need to put in a disclaimer. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Elsword. Elsword is owned by KOG Studios and the publishers such as Nexon. **

**Skyress8619: For the sake of upload speed, all of these chapters will not be beta read, so I apologise in advance for any spelling or grammar mistakes in the chapters. And… enjoy. **

* * *

><p><strong>Introduction<strong>

**Classes:  
>Elsword: Sword Knight<br>Aisha: High Magician  
>Rena: Combat Ranger<br>Raven: Base **

The Elgang were all exhausted after a long day of fighting, and the Ponggo's Hideout was the safest place to stay; it was now too dark to go back to Altera Village.

Elsword and Aisha were already asleep, curled up under the warm blankets that they had carried with them. They could really only carry two along; otherwise they wouldn't be able to fight properly, so Rena decided that the two younger ones have the blankets. Neither the elf nor the half-Nasod minded since it wasn't that cold as they had expected.

"Raven? You awake?" Rena whispered. Raven was lying on his back a short distance away, who appeared to be gazing upwards at nothing in particular.  
>"I am. What is it?" He also spoke back in a whisper. Apparently he had cared about the children, too, and had not spoken in that louder, enraged voice that he had during the battle on the Black Crow.<p>

There was a silence as the elf forgot what to say.

"Since we have to go straight into fighting those Nasods, we haven't given each other a proper introduction. And once it's morning, we have to go fighting again."  
>"Wouldn't it better to do that later after we're all done?" He responded coldly, but Rena wasn't giving up yet.<br>"Please, Raven. I also have no idea why you were glaring at me like that during the fight."

That obviously struck something, because the half-Nasod froze.  
>"Okay then, never mind that. I think I should start then." She cleared her throat as quietly as she could. "My name is Rena, I'm an elf from an elven village south of Ruben Village, and because I'm an elf, I'm hundreds of years old. I've stayed in there for all my life until the disappearance of the El. I then found that Elsword and Aisha needed the El too, so we travelled together."<p>

Another silence.

"… My name is Raven, I am a human from the capital city of Velder, twenty four years old. How I got here… that's a story for another day." He had responded in exactly the same format, but that was at least a start.  
>"Can you tell me?"<p>

"Like I said, that is a story for another day." He was obviously irritated. _Alright then, better not pester him about that until he decides to open up; it's better to let him ready himself for it rather than forcing it out of him.  
><em>"… Alright, then." The conversation was awkwardly short, but at least she got him to talk.

"I think we should stop talking, otherwise we'll be too tired for tomorrow. Goodnight." He turned away from the elf. _Still as cold as he was. Maybe he'll slowly open up to us, because that's a really important thing. We also have no idea how he ended up here… it has to have something to do with that arm.  
><em>"Goodnight, Raven. Sleep well." She too began to drift off to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be another long day.

* * *

><p><strong>Skyres8619: Please tell me how I write. It at least encourages me to write more, if you all want me to. <strong>

**ViperCrow: Despite what she thinks, moral support is important. **

**Skyres8619:… Fine. I think that's all I have to say then. **

**Skyress8619 has logged out. **


	2. Complicated

**Complicated**

**Classes:  
>Elsword: Lord Knight<br>Aisha: Elemental Master  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Blade Master**

Elsword and Aisha had been fighting for a long time, and none of them showed any signs of exhaustion.  
>"Hey, Raven, shouldn't you be telling them to stop? What if they tired themselves out and get injured?"<br>"Elsword can handle a lot more than training, and so can Aisha, so there's no need to get worried."

Luckily there were vacant fields around the Suburbs of Velder, possibly to allow the Velder Garrison to train. Vanessa had told everyone that it was a free day, and obviously, Raven wasn't going to let Elsword get away.  
>"You know, you're getting meaner and meaner. Why's that?"<br>"It's important that they keep their training up, otherwise they can't fight well."

"… Fine, then." Rena pouted; there obviously was no point arguing with Raven once his mind was set.

The sound of metal clashing as well as fire, ice and lightning filled the air.

"Hey, Raven."  
>"Yes?"<br>"How was life as a Crow Mercenary Captain? It sounds like a pretty high rank, with a lot of salary. Wouldn't you have lived a complicated life?"

"Not really, and the salary isn't as high as you think. It allows for a little luxury, but I never really lived a complicated life. It was pretty simple, actually."  
>"So I can't expect anything much interesting if we went over to your place?"<br>"I'm not even sure if that exists anymore."

"Why not?"  
>"Because the demons have probably destroyed it."<br>"… Damn it."  
>"Did you really want to see my place that badly? I don't think it's as neat and tidy as it's meant to be the last time I've seen it."<p>

"Of course! We elves live simple lives, and there was always the stereotype that humans lived overly complicated lives, especially those in the capital cities. And since you were a citizen of one, why not disprove it? And it disproves even better since you're a captain."

"…" Raven decided not to answer to that, and Rena huffed.  
>"Fine. I'll have to see for myself~" The Blade Master put his face into his hands.<br>"Please, don't waste your time." The Wind Sneaker laughed.  
>"You can't stop me anyway~"<p>

She had stopped talking at that point, but he already knew what was going on inside her head. _Please, stop making complicated thoughts, I'm not a complicated person…_ But he knew that she would make a rebuttal to that.


	3. Making History

**Making History**

**Classes:  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Blade Master**

"Rena, stop dragging me!" The elf was running along while holding the sleeve of an irritated Raven. Branches were reaching out towards them, occasionally scratching and clawing, but otherwise mostly out of the way.  
>"Slow down, I'm going to trip-" As if on cue, a root stuck out, catching the Blade Master by the foot and almost causing him to fall forwards.<p>

"You just have to keep up with me. We're almost there~"  
>"You've been saying that for-" Finally, they had made it to a small clearing in the forest.<p>

A wonderful view of the cloudless night was above them, and the grass was almost perfect. The forest that surrounded the clearing also provided them privacy, and there was also enough light from the full moon overhead.  
>"Wow… how did you find such a place?"<br>"Exploring, of course."

"…" Raven thought for a second. "When was this? How far did you go? Did you get hurt? Did you encounter any demons?" The questions came out of his mouth almost too fast for Rena to comprehend.  
>"This was yesterday, I went until here, no, and no." The Blade Master sighed in relief.<br>"Good. Now, why did you drag me here?"

"I… kind of want a bit of a private conversation. Don't want those kids pestering us." Raven didn't know how to react.

"And what did you want to talk about?"

"Since we're part of the Elgang and all that, and we're pretty much internationally famous, we're going to make history, right? That while we're alive, we're going to be watched by everyone who wants to make a record of us, and while we're dead, historians will still be busy trying to write reports of what we've done. Isn't that kind of creepy?"

"I've never thought of that, actually. I would be the first Crow Mercenary captain to commit treason, and I was informally executed-"  
>"But you weren't! You're still alive, right here."<br>"I did die, then the Nasods brought me back."  
>"… Good point."<p>

A silence.

"Well, I've been living for ages, and I was the strongest warrior in the village, so historians have a lot to write about me."  
>"Especially because you're going to be living for the next few hundred years while I only have…"<br>"Don't be so pessimistic! Why are you looking at when you would die?"

"…"  
>"Anyway, back on topic. Don't you find it kind of exciting in a way that we're making history?"<br>"I thought you didn't like the idea of being scrutinized by the general public as well as investigators of all sorts."

"But it's got its got good points and bad points."  
>"Of course. I was probably being examined a few years before, also being the first commoner to rise to such a position. I did feel guilty for letting that down."<br>"That's not your fault. It was that bastard of a friend."

"…"

"Maybe we should go back now, before they start writing that we went missing for a period of time before coming back."  
>"Rena, they're not going to-"<p>

It was of no use. She continued to drag him back through the forest. Of course, when they arrived back at the camp, the rest of the Elgang questioned them. Luckily the Wind Sneaker was a lot more wise with her words than the Blade Master had initially thought.


	4. Rivalry

**Rivalry**

**Classes  
>Rena: Night Watcher<br>Raven: Veteran Commander **

Vanessa knew that there was some kind of air between Rena and Raven. She couldn't exactly tell whether it was meant to be romantic or hate.

She guessed that it was the latter. Both of them were commanders (well, Raven used to be a captain, and Rena was the highest rank of the Night Savers), both of them utilised a blade, both used some kind of method to limit their opponents movement, both had the similar minds of a tactician, both could use explosive projectiles, both had similar hair lengths, and both had that same fire in their eyes.

The Velder Garrison captain could tell that the coldness was coming from Rena, not Raven. Maybe he was trying to get her to open up to him, and so far he seemed to be failing, and the elf push herself further and further away. That was only a theory, though. It also could have been some kind of rivalry that happened when they gained their respective titles.

Vanessa could never be sure, and she also had no idea whether they actually got along or not. Well, they haven't fought each other in public…

She silently wished that whatever flames were in between them would die down, or the Elgang was going to slowly fall apart.


	5. Unbreakable

**Unbreakable**

**Classes:  
>Rena: Grand Archer<br>Raven: Reckless Fist**

Rena had protested, but Raven insisted that he be the one to keep the Demon Lord distracted while the rest of the Elgang went to destroy the core that powered the base that they had set up in the middle of the sea.

"Hmph. Looks like you were better than I expected." His opponent was slightly impressed, and both sides were exhausted. The Reckless Fist could collapse at any moment; he knew that the chances of beating the Demon Lord was not high at all. "Now that I've weakened you, all I need to do is to get to your pesky friends…"

"Over my dead body." Raven growled, readying his blade and his arm.  
>"Oh, really? Have you ever noticed anything on your head?"<p>

The realisation came too late. An intense pain that coursed through the Reckless Fist's mind caused him to scream, holding his head and collapsing to his knees. The darkness fought to take over his mind, and he barely noticed the Demon Lord walking over to him, laughing in a manner that made Raven want to beat him to absolute bloody pulp.

_Damn it, now I have to fight both my arm and this darkness… _He wasn't going to hold. Unless…

The Reckless Fist could feel himself getting angrier, and angrier. How dare this bastard try to control him. He felt himself slowly rise, the rage almost becoming unbearable, but it seemed to be helping him at the same time. _Is my arm… actually assisting me? _Now, he would be very happy to let his arm take over to finish the rest; he didn't have much physical strength left, and the rage that he now held would feed it an immense amount of power.

But what if his friends got hurt too? _Sorry, I'm staying on the controls. _

"You… can't… break me… that easily!" The seal of darkness on his head shattered, and Raven let out a roar. "There is no way you're getting away with that!"

The rage was giving him strength as he charged. He wasn't going to be satisfied until he beat this demon beyond recognition.


	6. Obsession

**Obsession **

**Classes:  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Veteran Commander**

"Raven, can I feel your hair again?"  
>"You did it yesterday. Why do you want to feel my hair over and over again? Is this some kind of obsession?"<br>"But you need to take care of it!"  
>"My hair doesn't matter anyway; it's only there because I don't have the time to cut it."<p>

"No! Don't cut your hair! It's beautiful!"

The Wind Sneaker covered her mouth before turning pink.

"What did you just say?"  
>"I mean, um… It looks nice on you!"<br>"Really? It's not for looks, you know." Raven sighed. "I should go cut it…" He flipped his hair (it had become a habit) before turning to walk away.

Rena turned even redder, and without thinking, she reached out towards him. The elf only managed to grab some of the black hair, causing him to turn around.

"That hurts, can you please stop pestering me about my hair?"He was clearly annoyed.  
>"Then let me wash it!"<br>"Huh?"  
>"Feel it! All of the ends are dry, it's pretty dirty, and I bet the top of the hair is oily, too."<p>

"Seriously, Rena, it doesn't matter. It's not there to look good." The Veteran Commander's patience was wearing thin, but for some reason, the idea of the Wind Sneaker washing his hair didn't sound too bad. As long as no one else was watching.  
>"But you should at least take care of it. Please?"<p>

Rena put on her puppy dog eyes. Raven's mind was immediately taken all the way back in time to the moment Seris wanted to buy a book that she wanted, and they were running short of time. He realised that when the elf and his deceased fiancée did it, all of his willpower would simply wash away. He didn't know why, but he just couldn't resist it.

"… Fine."  
>"Thanks so much!" The elf pulled the half-Nasod into a quick, but tight hug, and he felt his facial heat rise.<br>"This way…" Rena began to run back to their accommodation at an amazingly fast speed, with Raven almost unable to keep up.

He sighed. _Is she really this excited?_

* * *

><p><strong>Most of these chapters are prewritten, so I will probably upload three at a time whenever I get a chance. I am also following the advice of the first reviewer (who happens to be a very close friend in real life) and not writing conversations with the Elgang in the author notes. <strong>


	7. Eternity

**Eternity**

**Classes:  
>Elsword: Rune Slayer<br>Aisha: Elemental Master  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Blade Master  
>Eve: Code Empress<br>Chung: Iron Paladin  
>Ara: Sakra Devanam<strong>

It was yet another free day in the Suburbs of Velder. The atmosphere was surprisingly calm, the Elgang had decided to spend the day relaxing.

The afternoon sun was luckily not harsh, or it would have reminded them too much of the fire that Velder burned in. There was the odd white cloud here and there in the blue sky. Well, the sky was blue here, but they didn't have to move very much to see it go red as it neared the heart of the storm of red, lightning and darkness.

"It's… kinda sad that we could just all die at any given time, since we're fighters. Like, we could all die tomorrow." Elsword finally spoke after a long silence. He lay on the grass, watching the cloud drift by. It was almost hypnotising.  
>"Elsword, don't get so pessimistic." Aisha was too far away to hit him with the staff, and she wasn't bothered to get up, either, considering how comfortable her current position was.<p>

"Even so, we'll all die eventually, because we're living things. Except for Eve; she's a Nasod." Chung joined in the conversation. Eve didn't say anything. Instead of lying on the grass, she sat on one of her drones. The gentle breeze quietened the sips of her tea and the occasional clinking of china. Ophelia stood at her side, ready at her command. Oberon, on the other hand, was permitted to rest, and lay on the grass in a less graceful way.

"But… if we don't die in combat, you're all going to die before me." Rena came in, and Raven turned his head to look at her. The sunlight made her face more radiant than he had observed before. Her voice held a sad tone, and there was no cracking in it. Still, he spotted a single tear roll down her cheek.

The Blade Master couldn't think of anything to say. She was right, after all. There was nothing he or any member of the Elgang could do to extend their lives. The Wind Sneaker would live another few centuries, and Eve couldn't really die. The rest of the Elgang… now that Raven thought of it, he was already twenty seven. He suddenly felt a lot older than before.

_And then again, they're still kids._ They had much longer to live. Elsword was already a skilful fighter with both his sword as well as his runes. Aisha used to be one of the most powerful magicians in Elrios, losing her powers before gaining them back again. Chung was a descendent of a family of Guardians, and also the son of the White Colossus.

Ara was younger than Raven, but already into the adult stage of life. The Sakra Devanam was a descendent of a family of martial artists, being the only one left, since her brother became a demon.

Soon enough, another generation of fighters would come and replace them, making even more achievements than ever before.

"Don't be so pessimistic too, Rena." Aisha said after a silence. "You can always make new friends, you know. Like Raven."  
>"Hmm?" The mention of his name snapped him out of his thoughts.<br>"Remember, he had comrades. He even had a fiancée, and now he's lost them all, then he made friends with us. We're not replacements or anything, but…"

The Elemental Master was right.  
>"And heck, he even found another person who was right for him, right?" She couldn't hold the smirk as she faced the Blade Master, who sat up suddenly.<br>"What was that? I haven't found anyone yet."  
>"But you do have one consideration…"<p>

_Is it me?_ Rena couldn't stop herself from thinking that. _No, it can't be. Even if he really does, he'll die eventually…_ She also couldn't stop the tears anymore. Imagining him as an old man was no longer hilarious, but sad. He wouldn't be able to see properly, move properly, or do anything much of the things that he could do today. And Rena would still be in the same condition that she was now, watching death slowly creep up to him.

"Rena? What's wrong?" The Blade Master had noticed, and the Wind Sneaker really wished that he hadn't. She also didn't dare to talk; her voice was crack if she did, and she would just end up crying more. That would be embarrassing. Raven walked over to her, before sitting down beside the elf, using a hand to wipe the tears.

"Even if you do lose friends, you can always find new ones. You'll end up being unhappy if you stick to the past." He smiled a genuine smile, and Rena could feel her face heat up. She wanted to tear her gaze away to prevent herself from getting any redder, but she couldn't move. "I did it. I think you can, too. Even if someone you love dies, you can always move on. Besides, that person would want you to move on and be happy that you're living, right? No one can live for eternity, you know."

The Wind Sneaker couldn't stop herself from hugging the Blade Master tightly, nor could she stop herself from crying into his shoulder.

**Skyress8619: Veteran Commander completely conflicts this. He sticks to his past and gets his strength from that. I guess that could be something Blade Master doesn't see. And… I think that's all I have to say. **


	8. Gateway

**Gateway**

**Classes:  
>Elsword: Sheathe Knight<br>Aisha: Dark Magician  
>Rena: Combat Ranger<br>Raven: Sword Taker**

"Isn't this meant to be the shrine where people go to worship the El Lady?"  
>"What do you mean, of course it is!" Aisha restrained the urge to hit Elsword on the head with her staff.<p>

"But, it's kinda creepy." Rena couldn't help but agree. This place used to be filled with light. Not only was it night time, but not many of the torches were on, there was evidence of a battle and destruction, and there were noises coming from inside the gateway.  
>"The shrine is a very big place, so it is important not to get lost." Raven spoke.<p>

The Wind Sneaker also couldn't help imagining what would happen if they really did get lost. Not only did they not have many supplies to survive on, but they would be trapped with demons, too.  
>"Stop making me scared, Raven." She lightly punched him on his Nasod arm.<p>

"That's your fault for being paranoid." He replied with a smirk.  
>"But I can't help it!"<br>"Anyway, we have to go inside now, we have no time to waste." Elsword marched inside with Conwell drawn, with Aisha following.

The elf didn't move, forcing the half-Nasod to drag her inside.  
>"Wait, Raven, don't… please…" She couldn't help but hug his arm.<br>"We'll get out just fine. Besides, the soldiers have explored this area; they just can't get past it. We're cleaning up the demons here so we can get deeper. Then we'll start to worry if necessary."

"O-okay…"  
>"You should get off my arm before something attacks us."<br>"Oh, okay." At least she was a bit more confident now, but she couldn't get the thought out of her head.

_Rena, calm down, don't be such a chicken. Raven's here, and so is Elsword and Aisha. We'll be fine…_


	9. Death

**Death**

**Classes:  
>Elsword: Infinity Sword<br>Aisha: Void Princess  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Blade Master**

Again, the Elgang were unstoppable. The demons had unsuccessfully tried to eliminate them.  
>"They should just hurry up and run, you know." Angkor exclaimed.<br>"Well… Wait, where's Rena and Raven?" Instead of thinking about the more humiliating possibilities, Elsword and Aisha began to worry.

"Rena! Raven!" No reply. There was so much rubble and fire around the battlefield. _How the heck are we going to find them?!_

Elsword began to think of the dreaded possibility of what could have happened. _Grr, no, Rena and Raven are a lot tougher than that, they don't die that easily. _  
>"Angkor! Fly up ahead and tell us if you see anything moving!" Aisha commanded. Not wanting to object in such a situation, the bat gained altitude before flying forward.<p>

After a few moments of desperate searching, Angkor came back.  
>"Guys! Something was moving around there, follow me!" He flew back up, with Elsword and Aisha running after it, jumping over rubble and dodging the flames that threatened to swallow them.<p>

They eventually arrived at a collapsed building, made of wood and burning intensely with fire. Indeed, something was moving from the inside.  
>"Rena! Raven!" They seemed to be trapped underneath it all. To Elsword and Aisha's relief, a claw stuck out of the burning wood, pushing it aside.<p>

The Blade Master finally emerged. He looked horrible; he was almost covered in soot, his fur coat singed, his hair messy and partially burnt, and parts of his clothes were torn, revealing most of the wounds that he had accumulated during the battle. There was blood, but something else caught their attention more than the injured half-Nasod.

It was the elf that he held in his arms.

The Infinity Sword and the Void Princess immediately ran over to help out, but Raven collapsed to the side before they could arrive, dropping Rena in the process. Elsword knelt by the Blade Master, shaking him to make sure he was alright.  
>"Raven, Raven… you okay? What happened?"<p>

There was no response.

He guessed that his friend was unconscious, and turned him over to check his breathing to make sure he was at least alive.

The Blade Master wasn't breathing, either.

_No… no…_ The Infinity Sword attempted to check for a pulse on his neck. To his despair, there was nothing.  
>"Aisha… is Rena alright?" <em>Please… at least she be alive…<br>_"She's… gone…" Tears were already forming around the Void Princess' eyes. "What about Raven?"

"… He's dead, too." Elsword himself was beginning to cry. Angkor could only perch on Aisha's shoulder, having nothing to say to comfort her.

Death had just seized two of their dearest friends.

**Skyress8619: That… turned out a lot cheesier than I had initially thought. And that's all I have to say for this chapter. **


	10. Opportunities

**Opportunities**

**Classes:  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Blade Master **

It was already late in the night, but Rena wasn't tired at all. In fact, she was restless if she was anything.

The buildings in Hamel all looked squeaky clean on both the inside and out, and the accommodation that the Elgang were staying in was no different. It was clearly expensive, but the Red Knights had offered to pay for it. Elsword said that he honestly didn't mind; there were already so many donations made to them because of their fighting against the demons. The media also had done their job.

The Wind Sneaker found herself standing in front of the Blade Master's bedroom. She didn't really remember walking down the corridor from her room, but now she couldn't really bring herself to walk away. _What if he got an early night? What if I interrupt something important?_

Thoughts swarmed her head, but that didn't make her walk away. Without thinking, she placed a hand on the doorknob and turned it, pushing the door open.

To Rena's relief, he wasn't changing; otherwise her face would have gone extremely red, even if he was only shirtless. The Blade Master sat on the edge of his bed, still in the usual attire that he wore around town and during battle. His blade was propped up against the wall in a corner of the room, otherwise the room looked very similar to the Wind Sneaker's own.

He looked as though he was deep in thought, with his eyes cast downwards, not noticing the presence of Rena. Again, she couldn't bring herself to move; she could only watch. Raven then looked at both of his hands; one gloved, and one mechanical. He shut his eyes, tears dripping downwards onto his now clenched fists.

The Wind Sneaker had to fight the temptation to rush over and pull him into a hug. At first, she tried to talk, but no sound came out. Yet again, she couldn't bring herself to leave the room.  
>"… Raven?" It was almost a whisper, but she didn't know whether she should have regretted it or not.<p>

The Blade Master suddenly turned up to face her, and the sight pained Rena's heart. Tears were still streaming down his cheeks, his eyes were beginning to turn red, and suddenly visualisations of everything he experienced in the past went into her head. She could almost hear the screams of his comrades. And Seris.

He quickly wiped his eyes and his face on a sleeve before facing her again.  
>"How… long have you been here?"<br>"Oh, um… only a few moments. I'm… really sorry if I disturbed anything."  
>"But why are you here? You must have had some purpose to come to my room. Did you want to talk to me?"<p>

"Can I?"  
>"Sure, that's fine." He patted a spot next to him on the bed, which Rena took after a hesitation.<p>

_Why am I suddenly so nervous? And his mood changed so suddenly…  
><em>"Are you sure it's okay?"  
>"…" Now it was his turn to hesitate. "I'm fine now. I was just… trying to remember something." The Wind Sneaker strongly suspected that it was related to his deceased fiancée, but she knew not to press further.<p>

"Okay, then. Can I ask you a question?"  
>"What is it?"<br>"How did you approach Seris?"

The Blade Master thought for a bit.  
>"What do you mean?"<br>"When you realised that… you liked her. How did you approach her?"

"Hmm… I guess I just started conversing, and we got to know a little more about each other. Then we started visiting each other for dates or just to talk. Then… I just had the opportunity to confess. And luckily, she was about to do the same thing, too."

… _Is it just me, or are we in the exactly the same situation? _Rena realised that she actually did have an opportunity right in front of her. _I just have to hope that he accepts me…_  
>"Umm…" <em>Damn it, Rena, pull yourself together! It's do or die. <em>"I…"

The atmosphere grew even more awkward as the elf struggled to say what was in her mind.

"… Screw it."

She made a move towards Raven and kissed him on the mouth.


	11. 33 Percent

**33%**

**Classes:  
>Elsword: Rune Slayer<br>Aisha: Void Princess  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Blade Master  
>Eve: Code Empress<strong>

Even though Raven was the person he was, they knew that he would never suspect them spying on him and Rena.

Maybe they initially thought that they were in a completely private place in the woods; luckily they weren't doing anything inappropriate. To them, they were just simply conversing. Sometimes, Rena would break out into laughter. Sometimes, Raven would smile or chuckle. And even from this distance, they could tell how nervous she was, and how she tried to hide her blush.

Elsword, Aisha and Eve watched the scene from a cliff high above. Angkor was sent down below to eavesdrop, having a microphone and a camera attached to him. Oberon and Ophelia were ready at their queen's command, waiting somewhere down in the woods. Only Eve knew where they were.

A small screen was set up so Elsword and Aisha could see what was going on. The Code Empress was wirelessly connected, so she didn't need to see. She was more focussed on the forest below and the movements of Raven and Rena to ensure that they never realised that they were being spied on.

"Hey, Raven?"  
>"Hmm?"<br>"Did you ever flirt with anyone other than Seris? And have you even flirted with Seris?" At those words, the Blade Master almost lost his composure.

"I haven't before. Why?"  
>"Because… I don't know. I think girls would really like you if you flirted a lot more."<br>"But that would make me a player! I'm not like that."  
>"If I asked you to try and flirt with me, do you think you would be able to do it?"<p>

"…" Rena laughed.  
>"Just kidding. I don't even think you have any flirting skills anyway. That's usually something that makes girls go mad for you, you know."<br>"But… I don't want any." Raven retorted.

Elsword chuckled. "I knew Raven had no flirting skills. Not like mine."  
>"Flirting? You call that flirting? I bet I could do an even better job than you." Aisha shot back.<br>"Please do not get too loud. I am trying to make calculations, and you have to make sure Raven and Rena do not know we are here." Eve hushed the two children before focusing back on the scene.

There was a silence except for the Blade Master and the Wind Sneaker talking on the screen.

"Synchronisation rate… 33%." Eve thought aloud in her usual monotone voice.  
>"Hey, Eve. What's that meant to mean?"<br>"Elsword, you idiot." Aisha punched him lightly on the arm. "It means how close they are together. As it goes higher, they'll start falling in love, then they confess, then they kiss, then they get married, then they have se-"

The Rune Slayer was so glad he interrupted the Void Princess before she finished her sentence.  
>"Aisha, stop."<br>"But the chances are really high, you know."

"That's true. Maybe…" Elsword smirked. "We could come up with a plan to get them together." Aisha returned the expression.  
>"Oh yes, that would be wonderful."<br>"Then let's get started."

The small screen was no longer the centre of attention as the Rune Slayer and the Void Princess began to plot.


	12. Dead Wrong

**Dead Wrong**

**Classes:  
>Elsword: Infinity Sword<br>Aisha: Dimension Witch  
>Rena: Night Watcher<br>Raven: Veteran Commander**

"This strategy had better work. If it backfires, all the blame is on you." Rena glared at Raven as they ran across the battlefield, facing a few divisions of demons as well as a powerful commander, who lay in wait on the other side of a small wall of wood as well as a few demonic cannons.

The plan was to have Elsword and Aisha distract the divisions while Rena and Raven ran around them, taking down the wall of wood to annihilate the camp on the other side. That would mean taking back valuable land that they needed to win the war. However, they couldn't see beyond the wall, meaning that if it was a trap, the demons had the element of surprise.

That was what the Night Watcher had argued, but the Veteran Commander pointed out that it would have been impossible; otherwise, scouts that have gone to survey the area would have told them of massive amounts of number coming this way. They had also come back alive, and said with confidence that it was so.

Rena was sceptical, and knew that the choice was something that not of Raven's personality; he made sure to take extra precautions. The backup plan was to call reinforcements, just in case they were surrounded. The Veteran Commander could shoot up a flare to call them, since they were all waiting in the surrounding area.

The Infinity Sword and the Dimension Witch were managing the forces well; Conwells and streams of light shot everywhere; sometimes the Night Watcher and the Veteran Commander had to dodge them as they ran around and ahead. They got to the wall very quickly, and Raven didn't hesitate as he sent an Ignition Crow forward, easily knocking down and burning the wall.

About the numbers on the other side of the wall, he was dead wrong.

A massive army charged at them, and Rena and Raven struggled to hold them back, even though explosions of fire and wind now surrounded them. Elsword and Aisha also weren't expecting it, the sudden increase in numbers forced them to rain down attacks much faster than before.

The Veteran Commander aimed his arm into the sky and shot up a flare, and expected soldiers to come and help them. But they never arrived.  
>"Where the heck are they?!" Raven yelled over the chaos.<br>"The demons probably thought about this, and now they're most likely either busy or dead." At Rena's words, several demon assassins joined the battle, blades already covered in blood.

_Damn it, they've taken out the reinforcements, too!_

Now the Elgang's chances of getting out of this alive was barely anything.

* * *

><p><strong>Skyress8619: So, I decided to put in an extra three chapters, making it six chapters per update because I've been forgetting to update. Anyway, that's all I have to say.<strong>


	13. Running Away

**Running Away**

**Classes:  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Veteran Commander  
>Eve: Code Nemesis<strong>

The gas hadn't lingered for a long time, but it felt like eternity. The younger ones had already perished. Ara and Elesis had stopped moving, but death was about to claim them. Rena and Eve, who were exhausted and unable to battle for much longer, were completely unaffected, and so were the demons they were facing.

Raven was close to unconsciousness, and even though it hurt the elf to watch, she couldn't tear her eyes off him.

"Rena… there are still many of them left…" He coughed up more blood. "Run, please… We can't win…" Breathing was getting harder and harder, but the Veteran Commander wanted to make sure that at least the elf and the Nasod came out alive; that way, they would have still have at least a chance against the demons.

"No way, there is no way I'm leaving any of you behind." The Wind Sneaker refused to move, looking up and shooting a few arrows. "Eve and I can handle it. We came here to get rid of the main reinforcements so our army can take them on, and there is no way we are leaving until we kill every single last one of them." There was anger and sadness mixed in her voice.

"Rena is correct. This gas is most likely a counter-measure just in case we would get rid of this many, though they forgot the fact that not all of us are humans." Eve spoke. "We need to complete the objective, and that is to get rid of them."

"None of you are… going to make it." Raven answered weakly.  
>"Like I said, I'm not leaving any of you behind! Not after what they did!" Rena yelled back, losing her temper and stomping. The Veteran Commander could feel the force of it. "If we ran, we would be running away from all of our friends, as well as our objective, and maybe even victory."<p>

"Let us eliminate them. We promise that we will not fail to give them the most painful deaths possible." The Code Nemesis added, straightening up, and so did the Wind Sneaker. Rena summoned the Flaring Fairy, who released a healing aura. Although it was far too late to save Ara, Elesis or Raven, it was giving the Nasod queen and the elf the strength they badly needed.

"Then… promise not to die." The half-Nasod eyes had already lost their usual fire.  
>"Of course." Rena and Eve both replied at the same time. Both were confident that they would win. Raven then gave the elf one final smile before his breathing ceased completely.<p>

… _I'll mourn later. _The Wind Sneaker could feel her fury rising. She remembered how scared Elsword and Aisha would get whenever she was angry, and she promised herself that the demons were going to feel the same way.

"You demons are going to pay! Feel my rage!" Rena yelled, charging forward, feeling much stronger than before.

_Maybe I should feel fortunate that you love that man. If you hadn't, you wouldn't have the energy you have now. _The Code Nemesis smiled to herself before charging forward with her weapons ready. _Still, I am glad I have company causing the destruction of these murderers._


	14. Judgement

**Judgement**

**Classes:  
>Rena: Night Watcher<br>Raven: Veteran Commander**

The demons had sent a massive army, and in response, the combined forces of Velder and Hamel have sent not a huge army of their own. In fact, they only sent two people, the ones they thought that were the most capable of wiping out huge numbers off the face of Elrios.

Rena and Raven had insisted they take care of it, and only use Aisha as backup if they failed, but they didn't plan to. The demons were stupid to try and attack in the first place, not knowing that there was a certain group of people who could face all of the creatures by themselves.

The Night Watcher and the Veteran Commander stood atop a cliff that gave a clear view of the battlefield. As the army approached, they were obviously confused; there was no opponent insight. Not yet.

The battlefield was already covered with unassuming twigs as well as mines. Both packed the explosive power that could get rid of a considerable amount of their enemies. The battlefield was also open on both sides; one side lead further into demon land, the other lead to the capital city of Velder.

Rena and Raven couldn't resist smirking as the demon army charged. _Time to rain judgement._

Cries and screams filled the air as the twigs and mines detonated one by one, killing several with each explosion. The demons that didn't perish were knocked down, only to be trampled by their comrades. The Night Watcher began to fire more twigs into the air, and the Veteran Commander made a call, summoning his Ignition Crows and sending them at the army as well.

Within minutes, half of the numbers were already gone. The two still stood on their post, continuing to rain down attacks that proved too hard to dodge. Whatever twigs missed demons landed on the ground, preventing the demons from moving that way. Raven had long since begun to send his own napalm bombs and explosives as well as his crows, covering the battlefield with fire and branches.

Eventually, the surviving demons were too hard to hit, and the Night Watcher and the Veteran Commander leapt down. Rena used wind magic to soften her fall, while Raven summoned an Ignition Crow, riding on it temporarily before letting it fly towards the demons.

The remaining numbers were quickly diminished with the blades, and finally, only a single commander stood, clearly shocked at the work of only two.  
>"You can have the kill." Raven said without facing the elf.<br>"With pleasure." Rena readied Erendil, now almost covered in black blood, and dashed forward with a powerful horizontal slice.

The commander fell, and the Night Watcher lowered her blade. Both were clearly unexhausted.  
>"I think we should be doing this more often." She failed to contain her smirk.<br>"Unfortunately, we're not the only ones to have a say." The Veteran Commander replied, returning the same expression.

A short silence passed as both regained their composure.

"We should report the situation." Raven said finally.  
>"Of course." And both returned to Velder, unconsciously hoping for some surprise from their other friends.<p>

**(insert line break here)**

**The first thing that came in mind for me was the Pokemon move called Judgement. I got a bit of inspiration from watching the X and Y depiction of it.  
><strong> 


	15. Seeking Solace

**Seeking Solace**

**Classes  
>Rena: Grand Archer<br>Raven: Reckless Fist**

"Raven? What are you doing here?"

For the umpteenth time this week, Rena found the half-Nasod sitting alone. This time, the place he had chosen was not very far from his usual training spot; it was a lone boulder a little way into the forest. If the Reckless Fist was doing anything other than sleeping at this time of the night, he would be training. But he wasn't. He appeared to be staring off into space.

Raven didn't answer as the Grand Archer approached him. Eventually, he turned his head towards her.  
>"Go away. Leave me alone. Shouldn't you be sleeping? You need your rest."<p>

Rena had to hold down her anger.  
>"That shouldn't be coming out of you, hypocrite. You're the one who needs rest. Training all the time isn't going to help if you're all tired out." The Reckless Fist seemed not to note her cold tone.<br>"Just go away. What purpose do you have to be out here at this time?"

"Looking for you."  
>"And why would you be doing precisely that when you know that I need my space?"<br>"… Because we've all given you too much. Now you think you can just be alone and we wouldn't care, right? We do care. Especially me."

"…"  
>"Tell me. There's something wrong, and you can't sleep because of it, which is why you're out here instead of trying to rest." The Grand Archer had hit the nail on that.<br>"That's none of your business." He was obviously starting to get annoyed, but she wasn't going to stop there.

"Yes it is. We need to help each other out."  
>"…" Again, Raven couldn't think of what to say. Rena used this chance and walked closer. The Reckless Fist wasn't willing to move over and give her a place to sit on the boulder.<br>"Go away."  
>"I won't until you tell me what's wrong."<p>

"Wouldn't you rather not know than for me to tell you and you realise that you can't do anything about it?"  
>"…" The Grand Archer realised the problem.<br>"You've been having nightmares, aren't you?"

"… And what gives you that idea?"  
>"I just know."<br>"Hmph." Raven turned away.  
>"Raven, look at me." The elf was close enough to grab his head and turn it her way.<p>

The usual fire in his orange orbs were now only flickering. There were shadows under his eyes that weren't there before. And he didn't look like himself; like he seemed to be inwardly terrified and angry at the same time.  
>"This isn't you. And I can tell just by looking at you."<p>

"Let go of me."  
>"Stop being so stubborn and tell me exactly what is going on, because I want to help."<br>"You won't be able to help." His voice was rising, and Rena matched her voice as well.  
>"Tell me."<p>

"Stop making me repeat myself."  
>"Likewise here. Stop making <em>me<em> repeat myself."  
>"I said <em>go away<em>!"

Raven was already on his feet, and jumped off the boulder towards Rena. A powerful punch aimed at her missed by centimetres as she threw herself to the ground. The Reckless Fist froze where his landed, realising what he had just done.

The Grand Archer had expected him to break down, but he instead turned back towards her.  
>"Are… are you okay?" He walked over towards her and turned her over. The elf could feel his hands trembling as he did so.<p>

"I'm fine, Raven. I dodged it just in time." She sat up, and looked into his eyes once more. He was a lot more scared than before.  
>"I'm… I'm sorry." He got up and tried to run, but the Grand Archer grabbed his hand, preventing him from moving anywhere.<br>"No, stop running away from all of it. You need to tell me."

Finally defeated, the Reckless Fist slumped to the ground beside Rena.  
>"The nightmares…" Raven began. "It's all just what happened that night… Sometimes, when I would die, I was still conscious, and those Nasods would drag me away while I still felt all of my wounds…"<p>

"And then they got rid of my arm and replaced it all before putting me into a tank with liquid… then after all that, they began to control me, then I killed and destroyed..." At this point, he sounded like he was crying, and the elf couldn't stop herself from pulling him into a hug.

"I'm sorry, Rena, I could have hurt you…"

"Well you didn't. I'm perfectly fine." Raven was now hugging her so tightly that it was almost impossible to breathe. But the elf wasn't going to tell him to let go.

They stayed in the same position until the Reckless Fist eventually fell asleep in her arms.


	16. Excuses

**Excuses**

**Classes:  
>Elsword: Lord Knight<br>Aisha: Elemental Master  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Veteran Commander  
>Eve: Code Nemesis<strong>

After that briefing meeting that Vanessa had called, Rena strolled down the hallway of the building towards her own room. It was already late at night; all the fighting had kept the Elgang up from very early in the morning, and they were all tired and eager to sleep.

Raven had been severely injured a few days before and was obviously in no shape to fight. His room had been vacant for quite a while, and sometimes the elf would walk in and expect the Veteran Commander inside, only to find the bed neatly made and the small bedside table collecting dust.

The Wind Sneaker felt anger and surprise as soon as she spotted long, black hair disappear around the corner.

_Rena, stop thinking about him. It could be a woman, with long black hair. Raven's obviously not the only one with that. _But she couldn't help her curiosity, and sped up her walking pace, following the black hair, which eventually led her around another corner.

Soon, she was almost jogging, chasing the hair down the same path that she had used to get to the meeting. _I remember I got lost in this place before someone showed me the way…_ The Wind Sneaker eventually found herself in front of the room she had walked out of only a few minutes before. She opened the door and her mouth went wide.

It really was the Veteran Commander.  
>"… The meeting's already over. I was too late, then." She heard him sigh. His right arm was still covered in bandages from his wounds, meaning that he had not completely healed yet. And that was what set the elf off.<p>

"Raven? What are you doing here? Why are you not in hospital?"

Her sudden words made him almost jump as he turned around, meeting a glare from the Wind Sneaker. Just as she expected, he didn't have anything immediate to say.  
>"Answer my question, please."<br>"I had heard about the meeting, which was discussing some other plans and upcoming battles. Since I will recover soon, I think it is helpful for me to know."

"I could have told you tomorrow. I do my best to visit you every day. When I went to visit you today, you weren't there. I asked around, and they said that you had left earlier this morning."

The Veteran Commander was caught off-guard. _But… they were going to be occupied in battle for the vast majority of the day-  
><em>"You thought that we were going to be fighting for the whole day, didn't you? I managed to get a chance to go back and visit you. I was going to inform you of the situation at hand."

"…" Again, he didn't have anything comebacks.  
>"Tell me. What were you doing today?"<br>"… I needed to get some fresh air. Fortunately, I was strong enough to stand and walk."  
>"That's not it, because you need to explain why you have your blade with you."<p>

The weapon was strapped to his back, and Raven mentally cursed.  
>"I always take my blade with me."<br>"You would have also known that we do not let any demon past us. It was impossible for them to launch a surprise attack on Velder, so there was no need for the blade."

A silence.

"… You've been training, haven't you?"  
>"Prove it."<br>"You have your blade, you look tired, and you're slouching. You don't slouch unless you've been tiring yourself physically to the point where you're about to collapse."

There was another silence as the Veteran Commander desperately thought to counter the Wind Sneaker's words. Nothing suitable came to his mind.

"You've just given me a bunch of excuses and lies. That's not you at all." The icy tone now hit him a lot harder than before.  
>"I…"<br>"Are you going to explain yourself?"

"... If I started training earlier, or getting up and moving earlier, it means I can return fighting. I don't want any of you getting hurt knowing that I could have protected-"  
>"We can all protect ourselves!" Rena suddenly yelled. "That's not a valid excuse at all! We don't kill ourselves if you're not around."<p>

"…" Raven didn't want to make the same mistakes again. There was no way he was going to stand by while he could do something. If he had taken action at that time, he could have stopped the event altogether. His comrades would have been alive, he would have had a wife, and he could have possibly had children.

The possibility of him dying to save his comrades and that woman never came to his mind.

"Plus, you're the one who needs protecting! Every single battle, you always get progressively weaker and weaker because you keep overheating. Alright, it does give you extra power, but eventually you get too weak to dodge or even move. That's happened before, and I had to carry your unconscious body back to camp because of that."

The Veteran Commander didn't have the heart to argue back. He just couldn't. The Wind Sneaker reminded him too much of that woman he used to love.

"I always thought you knew that you were wise enough to move on, but clearly, you're still stuck in the past. You protect us just like we were your own comrades, but that's clearly not necessary! Like I said, we can protect ourselves. We're not completely powerless, and we're skilled in combat. I've been fighting for many decades; I have much more combat experience than you. So stop using your past as an excuse to get unnecessarily hurt!"

Raven visibly drew back, and Rena wasn't going to stop there.

"You didn't have to get hurt the way you are now. If you had let me move in at that time, you would be still in near perfect condition, and you would have been fighting alongside us today. Sure, you worry about all of us, but because of what you do, you have no idea how much worry you cause us, especially me." She almost spat the last word out.

"And then when we worry about you, you don't let any of us do anything about it. Eventually, we're going to fall apart, and that would be your own fault that there would be no team that Elrios can send against the demons. So, unless you're going to stop being so stubborn and start listening, you can consider yourself to be a dead weight."

She paused for a bit.

"Eve isn't called the Queen of Destruction for nothing; she can create an almost infinite amount of advanced Nasod weaponry, if we give her the materials. We could even use those to replicate your own firepower. As for your blade skills, she could build other Nasods as well to do your job. It doesn't take her that long, either. Not long at all."

Rena felt happy on the inside to be able to vent out her rage, but she had no idea how much damage she was causing.

"So, until you listen to us and take care of yourself, you're useless to us. Please, leave us and never come back before the problem gets worse."

That was all the Wind Sneaker had to say. For a few moments, the Veteran Commander didn't move. His bangs were now covering his eyes; she didn't care whether he was breaking down on the inside. He got the tongue lashing he deserved, after all.

"I'm sorry." That was all he said before he walked out of the room without looking back. Rena stood in silence before sighing.

"Finally, felt good to get all that off my chest." Before long, she began to think about what she had said. A dreaded feeling slowly replaced the weight, and she realised.

Elsword and Aisha suddenly burst into the room, with Eve calmly following.  
>"Rena! What have you done?!" The Lord Knight yelled.<br>"Why are you guys here and how did you know?" Rena replied hurriedly.  
>"Eve sent a sentry over, and she has a recording of the entire thing. Of course, we were listening as well." Aisha spoke, obviously angry at the elf.<p>

The red-head grabbed the Wind Sneaker by the shoulders and shook her in an almost violent fashion. "What have you done?! Tell me! Where did he go?" The desperate expression on his face was something extremely uncharacteristic for the Lord Knight; she swore that he was almost in tears. And he knew the answer. He just wanted the elf to say something.

"I… I don't know, but he went somewhere out there…"  
>"Rena, just hurry up and look for him. You're the only one he's going to listen to, if he ever does…" Aisha muttered the last part under her breath. Knowing that Raven could have actually left them was almost unbearable.<p>

Elsword finally stopped shaking Rena.  
>"Yeah, what Aisha said. Hurry up and get out there. If you find him dead, then that's all your fault, and it's also your fault if we fall apart."<p>

_Dead? Wait, he had his blade with him… No… no, please, no…_ Without thinking, the Wind Sneaker ran out.

She didn't remember how many people she had run into on her way outside, and it worried her even more when there was no one in sight once she was in the open air.  
>"Raven! Raven!" Rena called as loudly as she could, but there was no reply. "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, I wasn't thinking…" She could feel herself losing her composure already, but that didn't matter.<p>

And she could already hear the Veteran Commander's voice in her head:

_Sorry isn't going to fix anything. I know that, and I know that you do, too. _


	17. Vengeance

**Vengeance**

**Classes:  
>Elsword: Lord Knight<br>Aisha: Elemental Master  
>Rena: Grand Archer<br>Raven: Reckless Fist**

"DIE! DIE! DIE!" The shouts of the Reckless Fist and the screams of the demons filled the air. _Those demons will pay for all that they've done!_ The moon, now with an ominous red hue, stood still in the sky, partially hidden in misty clouds. Another demon flew off the edge of the Southern Gate, body already half-crushed.

Raven's fury was especially strong this night, Rena thought. As soon as he had sighted the demons he immediately charged, fist already glowing and cackling with electricity and proceeded to destroy and kill everything in his path. Even the rest of the Elgang found it hard to keep up with him; he was killing fast.

Demons and black blood was flying everywhere, and the Reckless Fist was already dirty from all of it, but he didn't seem to care. He was occasionally grazed by an arrow or a blade, but he always shrugged it off and continued to fight. _Eventually all of those injuries are going to accumulate…_

Of course, everyone knew that Velder was Raven's hometown, and even though all of those events happened there, it was still the place where he was born, and it was still the place where he was a captain of the Crow Mercenaries. He had accepted using his Nasod arm for more power. He wanted to protect those that he loved, but Rena knew that there was another reason.

He wanted vengeance.

Losing control had almost become constant during their journey through Altera, but now that the demons were causing even more destruction to Velder, Raven even seemed to be itching to fight. The Grand Archer was afraid that the Reckless Fist could eventually become stuck in an enraged state and not be able to return.

A cry snapped her out of her thoughts. A chain ball smashed into the half-Nasod's abdomen, and he hit a wall hard. At first, he seemed weakened, but the Nasod arm quickly took control. Raven only growled and stood up as if nothing happened, charging at the Glitter Vanguard that had just thrown him. He landed a punch to its face, and the armour was shattered completely by the sheer force.

_Raven… please, stop it. I don't want to lose you. So please, don't stand by yourself. All of us want vengeance, too, and we can carry it out together. _


	18. Love

**Love**

**Classes:  
>Elsword: Rune Slayer<br>Aisha: Elemental Master  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Veteran Commander  
>Eve: Code Nemesis<strong>

"I'm fine, Rena, stop worrying about me."  
>"Then stop getting hurt!"<br>"Then I should ask you: why do you care so much? You seem to be the most concerned about me out of everyone else."

"Because I love you!"

The Wind Sneaker immediately covered her mouth at her words as she mentally cursed for blurting that out. The atmosphere in the room had completely changed; Elsword wondered how the conversation had led to this. Rena at this stage had gone completely red, and Raven's eyes had widened. His mouth was also hanging open, and it was clear that he had lost his composure.

The Veteran Commander didn't know how to react to the elf's confession.  
>"… Rena?"<br>"I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" Rena immediately fled the scene.  
>"Rena, wait!"<p>

He couldn't move. He needed to collect his thoughts, but at the same time, he needed to chase after her to tell her that everything was alright. Or was it?  
>"Raven, you should go after her." The Veteran Commander was glad that the Rune Slayer was supportive. "She just said something really big, you know." Elsword was cheering on the inside, but at the same time, he was feeling dread.<p>

"Elsword's right. Go after her." Aisha added.  
>"I fail to understand, but you do have a majority vote anyway." Eve flatly pointed out.<br>"..." _Is she thinking she hurt me? Wait, is she thinking about Seris?_ Realisation hit him. _I'm… not hurt at all. I don't know how to describe it, but… _

"… Raven? Did she really hurt you?" The Rune Slayer spoke.  
>"… Oh, right. No, she didn't. I'm not even sure how I'm meant to feel in this situation." The Veteran Commander snapped out of his thoughts. "I'll go and find her." He walked out of the room, and Elsword silently wished him good luck.<p>

Luckily, Rena was in her room, sitting on the edge of her bed. The sight almost pained Raven's heart; her head was hung low with her hands covering her face. He swore he could hear her sobbing. The half-Nasod sat down beside her.  
>"Rena? Are you okay?"<p>

She lifted her head up to meet his eyes, and the Veteran Commander was right. She really was crying.  
>"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry I said that… It's alright, you can continue to leave me alone, I'll be okay…"<p>

Raven couldn't stop himself as he pulled the Wind Sneaker into a hug.  
>"It's fine." He said in a soothing voice. "I'm not hurt. I'm honestly not sure what to feel at this stage, but I'm not hurt. Maybe I'm just not admitting that I've fallen in love with you, too." He felt her surprise.<p>

"… Really?" The Veteran Commander pulled away and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his human hand.  
>"Yes. I've… made up my mind."<br>"But what about Seris? I'm just… replacing her."

"You're not Seris, and you aren't replacing her. Even though you're similar, you aren't the same. And she's gone; there is no way I can get her back. There was always this hole that she and my comrades left behind, but they've filled back up. I'm feeling a lot more happier being with all of you, and especially you. I… I love you."

Their lips met for the first time. _When was the last time I've kissed someone…?_ Rena's lips were soft and Raven already wanted more of her, but he didn't want to push her too far. Finally, they broke for air.  
>"Was that your first kiss?"<p>

"Yes, and it feels nice…" She went bright red at those words. "Do it again."

The Veteran Commander kissed her again, this time playing with her bottom lip with his tongue. The Wind Sneaker slowly opened up, and soon, the feeling that he was giving her was almost intoxicating. She couldn't exactly describe the sensation of his tongue exploring her mouth.

She decided to try and do the same thing. Rena wasn't feeling disgusted at all, but it was wonderful nonetheless. Again, they broke for air.  
>"I think we should stop. Elsword and the others are probably waiting." Raven spoke, still looking into her eyes. "We can do that again later."<p>

The elf admitted to herself that she was looking forward to it very much.  
>"Okay, then let's go back."<p>

They walked down the hallway with their fingers entwined. Elsword and Aisha had smiled upon their return.


	19. Tears

**Tears**

**Classes:  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Blade Master**

They hated seeing each other's tears. Tears meant pain and sadness, and it hurt them. Even though tears could also mean happiness, they hated seeing tears anyway. It had never meant happiness to them. Not once.

Raven finally found Rena sitting at her favourite spot. It was a small hill overlooking the capital of Velder, which had finally regained all of its former glory after being destroyed by the demons. The Velder Garrison and the Red Knights had done such a good job, and with the assistance of the Guardians from Hamel, the Lurensian capital had finally been rebuilt after a lot of work.

The majority of the Elgang had decided to settle down in Velder. Elsword was a Lord Knight, and was in charge of training as well as a division of his own. His sister, the Grand Master Elesis, had a much higher position; she had used her power to get rid of Alex, who had become a corrupt captain in the army. Raven remembered the smirk on her face very well as he was dragged into prison.

Eventually, the Elemental Master Aisha had confessed and together, she and the Lord Knight married. Now that she had gained back her title as one of the most powerful magicians in the world, she was in charge of training the magicians of Velder, and was also occasionally invited to other places for her teachings.

The Code Battle Seraph Eve had moved back to Altera, intending to rebuild her race with the help of the Ponggos; they were very happy to oblige. Chung Seiker had returned to Hamel; now that the people knew his real last name, he had quickly grown famous, and was now training the other Guardians alongside his father, the White Colossus.

The Sakra Devanam Ara had returned to Fahrmann; they didn't hear much from her otherwise, but they knew that she had finally accomplished her goal of getting rid of evil. About the Lunatic Psyker Add… they never saw him again. They had silently prayed for Eve's wellbeing.

But the Wind Sneaker still had tears streaming down her face; if she thought that the Blade Master couldn't see from this distance, she was horribly wrong. The light of the full moon was more than enough to reveal those tears. And he was confused. Had he done something wrong? Did she have anything to hide from him?

He couldn't stand it anymore and walked over, embracing her with one arm.  
>"Rena, what's wrong? You know how much I hate to see you cry, and I want to help." When she turned to look at him, the sight surprised him.<p>

She was smiling.

"Nothing's wrong, Raven." She sniffed. "Just that… I'm so happy. Sometimes, I would think that we would all eventually die in a battle against those demons, but we made it out, all alive. And now we're just living happy lives. Elsword and Aisha are together, Eve is going to fulfil her duty as a Nasod queen, Ara's gone back, Elesis is still in charge, and…"

"And what?"  
>"Well, we're happy too. I never thought I'd fall in love in my years, and I never thought that you would come to accept me, even after what happened. And now, we're sitting here. Velder isn't destroyed anymore, we've married, and we even have children. Sometimes I think that this is too happy to be reality, but it is."<p>

Rena returned the embrace, and it wasn't long before they kissed.

"When I first came out from the Nasods, I never thought that I would eventually come to this. We have each other to thank for that, and not just you, but everyone else."  
>"You're crying now, aren't you?"<br>"What, no, I'm not."

"See? You are. Your eyes are getting all glossy." The Wind Sneaker looked into the Blade Master's eyes. "I bet you cried when you saw our first daughter."  
>"… Yes, I did." Raven looked away in embarrassment. Rena laughed.<br>"Don't feel sorry; everyone has to cry, even men. I bet Elsword has, too, even though he seems to be such a tough person."

They talked for what seemed like forever. The tears continued to flow.

* * *

><p><strong>I honestly had no idea what to call their children if they had any, so I didn't put in names. Anyway, please review and tell me what you think of this so far. That would be greatly appreciated. <strong>


	20. My Inspiration

**My Inspiration**

**Classes:  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Blade Master**

Raven was busy training as usual, and Rena had nothing to do.  
>"Maybe I should just help him out and train a bit-" A sudden thought popped into her mind, and she couldn't stop herself from smiling. <em>Let's see if there's anything interesting in his room… <em>

_But, what if I find something sensitive? _Soon, the doubt was cleared from her mind, and she headed into his room.

The Elgang had settled together in a temporary mansion in Ruben while Velder was rebuilding. Everyone's rooms were upstairs, with the Blade Master's room next to the Wind Sneakers. She opened the door and saw what she would expect; the bed was neatly made, the curtains drawn, the window slightly open for ventilation, and the room clean overall.

But what she didn't expect was a book and a pen on his desk.

Curiosity overtook her and she opened the book. The title page was a beautiful artwork of a sunset and a little girl resting on a grassy hill. Her hair was black, her eyes green, and her pointed ears told Rena that she was an elf. Judging by the texture of the page, someone had painted on it; it was not printed.

Rena turned the page. The next two lines of text, written in neat cursive writing, surprised her.

_To my very dear friend, Rena. Thank you for giving me my inspiration to write this story._

The Wind Sneaker turned the page again. The words "Chapter One" marked the beginning of the story, and she couldn't help but read.

_Whenever she looked at the pictures in the books about humans, she was the only one to doubt that they were nothing but greedy, stupid and unkind beings. The elven village was still a safe haven to her, but she always felt more at ease outside of it. Her favourite place to be was called "sunset hill". She named it, of course. It was always empty. She could enjoy the quiet breeze and the beautiful shades of Solace._

_She did not have any friends, but she didn't mind at all. Her mind and wild imagination was enough to keep her company; no other living person she knew could match up to that. The elders did not pay any attention to the younger ones, and that was only to her benefit. But she really had only tasted freedom a short while ago. _

_The other younger ones never understood how evil her parents were, but the Night Savers did. They accepted no rewards from her, but congratulated her at how stoic she was when her parents' bodies lay in front of her, with pools of blood already forming. At least they worked at a farm; she could help to get by. She did not mind the small amount of food that she got; everyone in her village was generous enough to keep that supply going. _

_It was another sunset, and she had never grown tired of them. She was glad to be able to come out today; it was heavily raining yesterday. Pink and orange blended with the darkening blues of the sky, and the clouds drifted by, looking almost like paintbrush strokes. Now that she thought of it, her paints were not with her. She always wanted to transfer this magnificent view onto a canvas, but time always passed too quickly. _

_And she also wanted to enjoy the moment. It was finally time to go back. She stood up, smiling back at Solace, before walking. She liked the way the wind played around her rather plain dress as well as her long, black hair. _

At this point, Rena was itching to know the girl's name.

_Everyone was already inside their homes, and she never understood that, either. Humans did not come to this area, and what was wrong with the night? The cool night air was something she cherished as well; the light of the moon was much softer than the harsh rays of Solace._

_There was another place that she visited often, and that was a small field that lay not far from the village. Here, she was rarely disturbed (some people wondered why she always loved to be alone), and she could connect with her magic properly. Materialising two orbs, one pale blue and the other dark purple, she began to levitate, closing her eyes and letting the power flow. _

_The ones who could detect magic were fearful of her, always wanting to suppress her; she wondered whether they wanted to kill her. She was not a magician of nature, but of wind and darkness. She could hide in the shadows and strike swiftly, using blades made of wind. She could also use this power destructively. _

_But obviously, she did not want to, for she had no reason. For now, she wanted to use her power to protect the village in case of attack. Her power would have to stay in hiding until then. After she grew strong enough, she wanted to journey outside of her village and into the outer world. She wanted to meet a human, because she knew that the books were wrong. _

_Sometimes, she decided to sleep instead of meditate, but there was no difference in effect. _

_Tomorrow came a lot faster than she had wanted. Solace's rays pierced through the darkness, immediately snapping her out of her thoughts. She ran towards the fields, afraid that she was already late to her daily work. _

"Rena, what are you doing?" The Wind Sneaker's head immediately snapped up at the voice and attempted to separate herself as much as she could from the open book.  
>"Uh, I…" The Blade Master walked over, closing the book. Luckily, he did not seemed to be enraged at all.<p>

"How much of it have you read?"  
>"I was in the middle of the first chapter." He sighed in relief, and so did Rena.<br>"Good. Now, please don't read any more of it… I wanted it to be a surprise to you. I was going to give it to you as a present if I ever do finish it."

"You… write very well. And what about the artwork on the front?"  
>"What about it?"<br>"Did you paint that?"  
>"… Yes, I did."<p>

"Wow, I never knew you had such artistic skill. And the story… I had no idea you could write." Raven chuckled.  
>"Of course I can write. Anyone can. You can, as well."<br>"Huh, me?"

"Of course, once you have inspiration and a few ideas, you can always begin."  
>"But…"<br>"I can buy you some paper and a pen if you want."  
>"Oh, no, it's fine. I'll get it myself if I want."<p>

"Alright then. Then do you have anything better to do other than to read my book?"  
>"Um… no…"<br>"… Do you want to train with me?"  
>"Sure, why not."<p>

"Good, then let's get started."

That night, the Wind Sneaker couldn't stop thinking about the elven girl in the book that the Blade Master had written. She never knew her name.

* * *

><p><strong>I just wrote that from whatever was currently in my mind, so it wasn't that good. I also have no idea how Raven would write, since we have insufficient information on his personality and, most importantly, his education. <strong>


	21. Never Again

**Never Again**

**Classes:  
>Rena: Night Watcher<br>Raven: Veteran Commander**

Raven was gone. He had been for a few days already. He was part of a small raid party that was sent to infiltrate the lair of the demons. Little did they know a very powerful commander lay in wait at the heart of the underground system.

Everyone presumed that he, along with the rest of the party, was dead; they had never returned. They job was to get as much data as possible, and to destroy whatever seemed to be an immediate threat. The Veteran Commander led the party, and the rest of the Elgang thought that at least he would return alive.

But he never did. Rena didn't know why, but it ate at her heart.

She shouldn't even be caring about him; she should have been almost glad that he was gone. His constant pestering irritated her, and the fact that he kept on getting hurt was troublesome as well. To her, he failed to understand that the Elgang could protect themselves, and they weren't going to all die without him.

She knew that something was wrong in her. The loss of a comrade should not be troubling at all; it simply meant that they either did not do a good enough job, or they sacrificed themselves, whether it be in vain or not. They were nothing but people that helped each other achieve the common goal; to get rid of the demons.

She should not be feeling any emotions or starting any sort of relationships other than that. Even though she distanced herself as far as she possibly could from that man, she still felt like she had lost something when he left. Rena could blame him as much as she wanted for not returning, but she blamed herself for allowing his departure to leave a gap in her.

The Night Watcher felt so horribly embarrassed when she received the news that they were most likely dead, because she had to evacuate to her own room to regain her composure. She hadn't felt such sadness ever since she joined the Night Savers, and she cursed the tears that flowed down her cheeks.

As much as she tried, she couldn't help it. She told herself to never lose herself like that again, otherwise she was going to be punished severely.

Despite her own words, she did. That day was when he came back.

The Night Watcher found the Veteran Commander limping back towards Velder, barely conscious and holding a bleeding wound with his claw. Rena hated herself for not being able to resist the urge to run over and hug him with all of her strength.

"Don't you dare do that again." Her voice didn't have the usual ice to it. "Never again, Raven. Promise me that." With what he had left, he returned the embrace; it was already hard to breathe.  
>"I… can't guarantee that…"<p>

"Promise, or I'll suffocate you." She was crying again. A part of her was cursing and promising to kill, but her emotions had completely overtaken her usual, composed self. The Veteran Commander knew that she really wasn't going to suffocate him, but he weakly nodded before passing out.

She rushed him back to the medical bay. She never again wanted to lose herself, but for some reason, she had felt better after letting it out.


	22. Online

**Online**

**Classes:  
>Rena: Grand Archer<br>Raven: Reckless Fist  
>Eve: Code Empress<strong>

"We also use the term 'online' to say that he is controlled by a computer." Eve explained to the elf. "I am going to attempt to control him to test the strength of his arm."  
>"What?! No, Eve, please don't." Rena immediately protested, but Raven looked at her.<br>"It's fine. It's just a test, and if Eve is controlling me, everything is going to be okay."

"…" They finally reached a large open field.  
>"Since the bond between you and Raven appear to be strong, you are going to be the one fighting him, instead of my servants." Oberon, standing beside his queen, sighed in relief. Ophelia did not react.<br>"But-"

"It will be best if you only try to hurt him via kicks, but this is so to prevent any major injuries." The Grand Archer only nodded. Being commanded like this was unusual for her, but she wanted the best for the Reckless Fist.  
>"Alright, I have already connected with the Nasod arm. Begin testing."<p>

Raven immediately contorted in pain, gripping his mechanical limb and almost screaming before slowly straightening up.  
>"It appears controlling the arm itself is difficult. It is alright fighting against me. Begin the battle immediately, please."<p>

The elf could not do anything but listen, and immediately charged, readying her bow. Raven charged at her, and Rena noticed that his eyes lacked the fire that was usually burning.  
>"Sidestep." Eve's monotone voice spoke. The Grand Archer aimed a kick at his chest, but at first, the Reckless Fist prepared a punch before deciding just in time to dodge the attack instead.<p>

He then moved to trip the elf over, but she used the wind to boost her upwards before raining down arrows. Raven hesitated slightly before obeying the Code Empress' commands, dashing to the side and moving out of range. _His arm wishes to go completely aggressive, but I cannot let it take control. _

Raven's mind was no longer fighting for control; he knew that Eve was meant to be controlling him.  
>"Attack." The Nasod arm was very happy to oblige to this command, and the Reckless Fist charged at a terrifying speed towards the Grand Archer.<p>

The sharp edge at the elbow of the arm grazed Rena as she dodged a powerful punch, and the elf shot a blast of wind at him.  
>"Sidestep." But Raven didn't. Instead, he swung his mechanical limb upwards, summoning a wall of spikes that blocked the attack. He then jumped upwards, preparing to punch towards the ground.<p>

Another blast of wind came at him, but because the arm and Eve were fighting for different decisions, he was sent to the other side of the field. Luckily, he managed to land on his feet.  
>"Wait for her to charge." The Reckless Fist almost boosted forward, but managed to stay his ground. Hearing the Code Empress, the Grand Archer charged at him.<p>

"To the side." But instead, he punched forward, connecting with the elf's foot and sending her flying to the other side of the field. Raven then sent a wave of spikes towards her, but she used the air to boost herself to the side, dodging the attack. She was now in a slightly vulnerable state.

"Stop attacking." The Reckless Fist twitched before roaring and dashing with his fist ready, completely ignoring Eve's commands. Rena dodged his attacks repeatedly, and every time she tried to dish out an attack, he would always counter or dodge. She also swore that he was getting faster and his attacks becoming more powerful.

"Stop immediately." The Code Empress' words were not working. She knew that soon, the Grand Archer will tire out. The Nasod queen closed her eyes and began to concentrate much harder than before, and Raven began to grip his head in pain. He finally collapsed on his side.

"Raven, are you okay?" Rena rushed over to check his condition.  
>"Yes, I'm fine… what happened?"<br>"Your arm managed to overpower me for a bit. I subdued it." Even explained, and the Reckless Fist attempted to get up, before realising that he was too dizzy to stand properly.

The Grand Archer caught him before he fell.  
>"Here, I'll help you back. Eve, will he be alright?"<br>"He will. The toll on his mind should be minimal, but I recommend that he avoids training for the rest of today. For now, he should sleep for a few hours."

"Alright. Thanks for keeping him safe."  
>"I now have a sufficient amount of data, so we can calculate as to what action we should take next to keep the Nasod arm in check. I owe you my thanks for helping me to test." The Code Empress walked away, most likely back to her laboratory of Nasod technology.<p>

Rena suddenly felt a lot of weight on her, and realised that Raven had fallen asleep already. She sighed and carried him back.

The Grand Archer also wondered how far he was to losing his mind.

* * *

><p><strong>That honestly was something I thought off the top of my head, and it most likely was not that good. <strong>


	23. Failure

**Failure**

**Classes:  
>Elsword: Lord Knight<br>Aisha: Elemental Master  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Veteran Commander  
>Eve: Code Battle Seraph<br>Chung: Tactical Trooper  
>Ara: Sakra Devanam<br>Elesis: Grand Master**

_Alex and the other soldiers had left some time ago. Despite the agonizing pain that Raven was in, he could still think. He knew he was going to pass out any second from the multiple stab wounds that he had received, but he wasn't focused on the physical pain at all. Only on the bodies that lay around him. _

_The bodies of his comrades and Seris. _

_He had failed to protect them, and he could have. When they broke him out of prison, of course they had weapons, and they had given him his own as well. Raven's skills with the blade were above most of the military of Velder, and he could have used this skill to protect the comrades that were always with him. _

_They had fought alongside each other, laughed, and even had a party. It was obvious that their captain had kept and trained them well, and they had never failed a mission before. But this was no mission; this was a fight for their lives. And they lost. Raven blamed himself the most; he could have been actively fighting instead of just trying to protect himself. _

_And Seris. Her body was perhaps the bloodiest of them all. Alex tortured her with a blade in front of her own fiancée, and the Crow Mercenary captain could do nothing but watch her scream and writhe in pain. She was now free from all of it, having left the world not too long ago. _

_It was extremely hard to keep his eyes open. He had not only failed to protect the ones that he held close, but also failed to protect himself. _You bloody coward…_ he cursed, not only to himself, but also Alex. That betrayal was what had changed his life. Had Raven been more wary of his growing greed, none of this would have happened. _

In the end, I'm just a failure. Just like commoners who ever tried to rise in power…_ That was what the nobles thought of them. Pathetic. Weak. Nothing more than lowly people who were only smart enough to do manual labour. Raven had tried to prove them wrong, and he had at first, being the first commoner to rise to the position of captain in the Crow Mercenaries. _

_But he had failed. The words of the gallery in the courthouse continued to echo in his mind:  
>"Commoners, idiots, they're nothing but weaklings."<br>"He even tried to overthrow the king! He obviously doesn't know his place."  
>"This is why we don't let people like him up into power."<em>

I'm sorry, everyone…_ His vision begin to blur and spin, and finally, he allowed his eyes to close and his mind to rest. He was too tired to be aware of the Nasods that were already closing in. _

* * *

><p>And now the Veteran Commander stood, too wounded to stand without his blade. The body of the Demon King lay in front of him with a massive burnt mark on his chest. Raven thought that it would have been satisfying to land that flaming punch, but his emotions, especially rage, seemed to have almost blinded him as he attacked.<p>

He understood why. After straightening up with much difficulty, he turned around, only to see the bloody battlefield that was clean at the beginning. He felt his eyes widen at the scene. It looked almost exactly like that scene that he had seen years ago.

Elsword lay face-down; all of his life energy had been sucked out of him. Aisha had been torn apart by the shadows, and lay in a pool of her own blood (Raven recalled the screams of both the red-head and the purple-head). Eve had used up all the energy her core could take, and had shut down before she was gracelessly flung across the room.

Chung's Freiturnier had also been torn apart by the shadows, and he lay in a pile of his own armour. Ara was slumped against the wall; she had allowed Eun to control her, even permitting it to drive her body to the death if it was necessary. Elesis only had a single stab wound on her chest, and she had fallen protecting her younger brother.

Rena lay the closest to Raven, and was barely conscious. Her accumulated wounds were causing her to bleed to death, and Veteran Commander knew she would not last long. In other words, he would be the only one who had a chance of coming out of this place alive. And that pained him terribly.

"Rena…" He collapsed onto his knees beside her. "I'm sorry, I couldn't-" He paused to cough, ignoring the fact that there was now blood on his hand. "I couldn't protect any of you… and now I'm the only one alive. It's just like that event…" And all those years ago, Raven had been the sole survivor.

"No, Raven. You didn't fail." The Wind Sneaker smiled weakly, using whatever energy she had left to lift her hand and stroke the Veteran Commander's cheek. "You succeeded. We killed that Demon King, and now Elrios is in debt forever for you."

"Me? No, not me… It can't be me… I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without you, and now I've just killed all of you…" He couldn't stop the tears anymore.  
>"Please, Raven, don't cry-"<br>"I just failed to protect all of you-"

He had yelled at the elf, who only interrupted him by bringing his lips towards hers. The half-Nasod kissed back, cherishing the feeling of her soft lips that he knew he would never be able to touch again.

"No, Raven, don't think that. We have just saved Elrios, and you are the only person who lived to tell the tale. And there always had to be a cost…"  
>"But why all of you? Why not me?!" He was openly crying now, and he couldn't help it.<br>"Raven, calm down… You're alive…"

"But, Rena…"  
>"Don't… cry…" The Wind Sneaker's eyes finally closed, and her hand went limp. The Veteran Commander caught it with his own, entwining their fingers.<br>"I'm sorry… I… love you…" He hung his head over her dead body, willing to cry until he passed out.

Raven didn't know whether he had the will to live anymore.


	24. Rebirth

**Rebirth**

**Classes:  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Veteran Commander**

She took her literally hours to locate him. At first, the Wind Sneaker thought that spotting a man with long, black hair as well as dressed in black uniform with a Nasod arm was easy. It even had a shoulder spike. But she was proven wrong.

Good thing she didn't accidently mistake some woman as him. That would have been extremely humiliating, yet make her laugh at the same time. _If he doesn't want to be mistaken as the opposite gender from behind, he should at least cut that long hair of his. _

The hall's grand doors were open only very slightly, but the gap was enough for the elf to peak through. She could make out a medium-sized group of people, as well as a single person standing on a stage, talking loudly in that commanding voice she knew so well.

"And today, we stand here, to officially announce the rebirth of the Crow Mercenaries!" Raven almost shouted triumphantly with a smile on his face. The group of people cheered, and fists pumped into the air, and the Veteran Commander's own Nasod fist went into the air. He allowed the vents to open and for the flames to dance.

_He went and recreated the Crow Mercenaries? How did I not know any of this?!_

"All of you are dismissed, and remember that our operations will resume tomorrow. Rest well, my friends." The elf quickly ran to the side to avoid being hit by the opening of the doors. Raven did not exit with the others; instead, he seemed to be staying by himself, perhaps wanting to just be with his thoughts.

She didn't think about it and barged into the now empty hall.  
>"Raven, what is going on? Why did you hide this from me? I would have helped!" The Wind Sneaker ran up to the Veteran Commander.<br>"I needed to do this on my own, Rena."

"… Oh." How could she be so inconsiderate?  
>"It's fine. Everything's going alright, and we are starting the work tomorrow. I am the head of the Crow Mercenaries now, since I brought it back. It had apparently disbanded in my absence."<p>

Raven knew that it must have disbanded because of his charges for treason. All of his comrades and Seris knew that he had been framed, but they could do nothing about it.

"Do you want me to help?"  
>"How? Become a Crow Mercenary yourself?"<p>

The Wind Sneaker actually considered it. So far, she had almost no form of steady income, and the bank account that the Elgang shared would only last for so long.

"I want to help you, if that's okay."  
>"Why? And what would you want to do?"<br>"Maybe… be an assistant of some kind. Besides, I have nothing better to do, and I need some money."

The Veteran Commander laughed.  
>"I thought that account was able to last for several years, since we were all earning more than we could spend."<br>"You also had to revive the Crow Mercenaries because you needed cash too, right?"

It was the Wind Sneaker's turn to laugh, and she poked him in the cheek when he did not answer.  
>"So, are you going to answer my question?"<br>"Hmm?"  
>"Can I work with you?"<p>

"… It all honestly depends on whether I need you or not. I managed as a captain by myself, and someone else was the head at the time, but now that I'm at the top…" Raven paused for a bit. "Maybe, then. I'll tell you if I do need you."

"Thank you so much!" Rena hugged him so tightly she ended up almost crushing his chest against hers.  
>"Can't… breathe…" The Veteran Commander's physical struggle was futile, but the Wind Sneaker was nice enough to let him go (she could have let him pass out if she felt like it).<p>

"See you sometime later!" She ran away happily.

In a way, it was also the rebirth of Raven's love life.


	25. Breaking Away

**Breaking Away**

**Classes:  
>Elsword: Lord Knight<br>Aisha: Elemental Master  
>Rena: Grand Archer<br>Raven: Reckless Fist  
>Eve: Code Nemesis<br>Chung: Tactical Trooper  
>Ara: Asura<br>Elesis: Crimson Avenger**

The forest was hazy as well as dark, but he knew it all too well. The prison, which stood at the top of a hill, loomed behind him. And ahead of him…

Even though it was only the moon that provided him light, he could already see the dreaded clearing. The mist did no good in covering the scene that made him wish that this was all a dream.

The bodies of his comrades… as Raven stepped closer, he realised in horror that it was not the comrades that he had while he was the captain of the Crow Mercenaries. It was the blood and flesh of his friends. The Elgang.

Elsword had been stabbed multiple times and lay in a pool of his own blood. Aisha… she was nowhere to be seen; the Reckless Fist hoped that she had at least escaped alive, only for his hopes to crash when he spotted a trail of red liquid leading outside the clearing. If she managed to escape while she was wounded, she would have died before she made it to get any sort of help.

Eve had been roughly taken apart, and pieces of black and white metal and wires were scattered in a small area. Her blue core was completely intact, but it was completely dull. Raven felt relieved that he didn't have to see her face; it had already been destroyed. Chung's Freiturnier had been torn apart, and his bloody body lay among the pieces of his own armour as well as the Destroyer and several Disfrozen capsules.

It was obvious that Eun had already left Ara, considering that she no longer had those white nine tails, and the colouring of her hair was also no longer white. Her body was almost unrecognisable. Elesis… her powerful desire for bloody revenge had backfired on her; she lay face down and in a pool of blood like her brother. Raven felt lucky that he didn't see her stomach; she could have been gutted, for all he knew.

… Rena. _Rena. _  
>"Where are you?" His voice was only a whisper to himself as he scanned the scene, trying desperately to find the beloved elf. The green and white uniform, the light green hair, the pointed ears, the elegant bow… anything that held any clue that she was here.<p>

"Rena!" Finally, he found her, and couldn't stop himself from running as fast as he could towards her. After a quick scan with his eyes, she had accumulated many wounds and had bled to death.  
>"Rena…" He held her hand, and his eyes widened.<p>

She was still warm.

"Rena, are you alive? Can you hear me?" Raven checked for a pulse, checked for her breathing. They were all still there, but they were slowing down. The Grand Archer was not going to last any longer, and the Reckless Fist could do nothing to save her.

"Rena, no, don't leave me yet…" Of course, the words were not going to do anything. _No… no… please, let this all be a dream…_ His heart ached. He had not a single scratch on himself, and yet the elf that he loved was dying right in front of him…

"I'm… sorry, Raven. Goodbye…" She spoke in his head, but he was only concentrating on her slowing heartbeat. He did not question even for a second why she spoke to him in his mind.  
>"Rena, no… NOOO!" He yelled, his efforts futile. Time seemed to play in slow motion. Tears streamed down from his eyes onto her, her heart rate slowing to a stop, her body also ceasing to move…<p>

His scream almost seemed to echo as he suddenly bolted upright, panting and drenched in sweat. _It really was just a dream…_ He thought when he finally got a hold of himself. The Grand Archer burst into the room, a worried expression on her face.  
>"Raven? Are you alright?"<p>

"… Everything's fine. Sorry about that."  
>"Was it a nightmare?"<br>"… Yes, it was."  
>"Is there any way I can help?"<p>

He didn't want to ask for her comfort. That was embarrassing. He was a grown man now, capable of dealing with things on his own, especially his emotional matters.  
>"You can't just take all of this on your own, you know." Rena told him, as if reading his mind.<p>

"…" Raven didn't want to reply. It was only now that he realised it was the middle of the night. "Sorry for disturbing you, then. You can go back to bed."

The Grand Archer did not reply, instead walking over to him and sitting on the edge of the bed. "You need help, I can tell. You've got tears in your eyes." She had noticed that before the Reckless Fist did. "Here." Rena began to slip under the blanket with him.

"Hey, Rena, I-"  
>"It's fine, honestly. Just as long as you promise not to touch me inappropriately, then it's all going to be okay." Now close enough, the elf pulled the half-Nasod into a hug. He didn't want her to break away. Not again.<p>

The warmth was almost hypnotising, and his eyelids were already heavy.  
>"It's alright, Raven." She had already guessed that he had feelings towards her, and she was right. Rena returned them, too, but she was not sure whether the Reckless Fist knew it.<p>

He eventually fell asleep into her arms, and she could not stop the smile that appeared on her face.


	26. Forever and a Day

**Forever and a Day**

**Classes:  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Blade Master **

"How old do you know you're going to live?"  
>"Hmm…" Rena attempted to do the maths in her head, but quickly gave up. "Not going to bother to figure that out. But I look similar to those younger adults when I've lived for centuries, so…"<p>

"Isn't there some kind of units for it? Like elf years?"  
>"Huh? Oh… Don't really remember."<br>"Were you always this absent-minded?"  
>"I'm not so sure. Maybe I just got a little too carefree."<p>

"Anyway, how long do you think it'll take for you to die from age?"  
>"Well, probably a few more centuries."<br>"How does it feel to live that long?"  
>"Uh, everything seems to go past really quickly you know. Until now."<p>

"What do you mean?"  
>"Ever since the El got stolen, everything has been going a lot slower than usual, you know. And I do wish I could cherish my time with the rest of you."<br>"So, you think it'll take forever and a day for you to die?"

"Of course! Well, unless I get killed."  
>"If you got killed, that would be my fault."<br>"Huh? Why?"  
>"Because I'm meant to be protecting all of you, and especially you because I-"<p>

He had completely forgotten that Rena was not aware of his feelings yet, but the elf's heart also skipped a beat.  
>"… That's for another time."<br>"Can you please finish that sentence? Please?"

"No, now is not the time, like I said, Rena. Come on, we should be checking on the others." Raven left, and the Wind Sneaker could only follow.

So far, it seemed like it would take him forever and a day to muster the courage to confess.


	27. Lost and Found

**Lost and Found**

**Classes:  
>Elsword: Rune Slayer<br>Aisha: Elemental Master  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Veteran Commander**

Raven had mysteriously disappeared one day, and the Elgang had no idea where he went. As they were strolling down the streets of Velder, a very peculiar notice caught Rena's eye.

_A black kitten with bits of orange fur and orange eyes has been found. If the owner please claim the animal immediately. _An address was also written.  
>"Wait, those eyes…" Elsword rubbed his chin while looking at the picture. It reminded him very much of their missing friend.<p>

"What are you talking about?" The elf playfully slapped in on the back. "You're saying it's Raven? That's impossible! Nothing in Elrios can turn people into animals."  
>"But no one has those eyes-"<br>"Cats can be magical too, you know. Come on, that thing looks lonely, and we could have a cute little kitten with us!"

"What if it actually does belong to someone?"  
>"But if it did, then it would have a collar. The kitten in the picture does not have one." Aisha noted, pointing her staff on the cat's neck.<br>"Alright then, let's go!" The Wind Sneaker seemed very excited and rushed off.

It happened to pour heavily on their way, and the Elgang had no choice but to try and find cover.  
>"The address should be to the left from here…" Aisha observed, before noticing something through the rain, which had become so heavy it was almost impossible to see through it.<p>

"Is that a cardboard box?"  
>"Yeah, it is."<br>"What if the cat is in there? What if it's getting frozen to death?" Rena ran out into the rain.  
>"Wait, stop!" Aisha chased after her, using her magic to create a shield of wind that acted like an umbrella.<p>

The elf was running too fast, and luckily she did not slip. The cardboard box had been labelled "Lost and Found", and inside, there really was a little black and orange kitten. It was curled up trying to keep its warmth. It was the first time that the Wind Sneaker noticed a strange red streak on the side of its head.

"Aww, you poor little thing…" The elf picked it up gently.  
>"Hey! Did you guys find the kitten?" They could barely hear the Rune Slayer over the sound of the rain.<br>"Yeah, we found it." Aisha yelled back. The two females began to make their way back to where Elsword stood.

"Woah, he's soaked." The kitten was shivering and was trying to seek warmth in Rena's hands. It was no use.  
>"Let's hurry up and get back to that cottage and dry it up before it gets sick."<p>

* * *

><p>The heavy rain continued when they arrived. Rena had gently dried the animal with a towel, and now its black and orange fur puffed out. The kitten now lay asleep on the Wind Sneaker's lap as she began to pet it gently.<br>"Can I try?" Aisha approached.

"Sure. Just be gentle." The Elemental Master ran a hand through its fur.  
>"Wow, it's so silky… Whoever owned it must be taking care of it properly, though I can't help but think that it's Raven."<br>"You tell me. Is it possible to turn humans into animals yet?"

"I'm honestly not sure. If something otherworldly came, then that could be it. We'll see when it wakes up." At this, Elsword entered the room as well.  
>"Rena, you've been petting that thing for at least an hour now. Aren't you going to get bored?"<p>

"I enjoy petting it; it's got nice silky fur. Here, do you want to try?"  
>"Um, okay." The Rune Slayer stroked the kitten. "Wow, it does have silky fur."<p>

It was then that those golden orange eyes opened slowly, as if weak. It reminded Rena very much of the time when she kneeled beside the Veteran Commander while he was injured.

The kitten tried slowly to get up, but it immediately collapsed back onto the Wind Sneaker's lap, mewing weakly.  
>"Hey, you okay there?" Elsword spoke.<br>"Elsword, it's not going to-" The Elemental Master began.

Its eyes turned to the red-head, before going to Aisha, before struggling to look up at Rena. The elf carefully wrapped her hands on its waist and lifted the animal up to her face.  
>"Are you alright?" The Wind Sneaker asked.<p>

There was an awkward silence before the kitten's eyes widened. It then attempted to struggle out of the grip, only for it to realise that its efforts were futile. Rena set it back down on her lap, when it attempted to get up for a second time before collapsing again.  
>"It's okay, you're safe. You hungry?"<p>

The kitten nodded. Aisha gasped.

"What is it?"  
>"Animals aren't this intelligent to understand human speech, unless they have been trained, but still…"<br>"Hey, let me try something. Here, roll over if you're Raven."

The kitten struggled at first, but rolled over onto its back. The Elgang gasped simultaneously.  
>"You've been turned into an animal?! How?" Aisha asked immediately. It only mewed in response; Raven was now incapable of proper speech.<br>"Is there at least any way you could try and talk to us?"

"Rena, he can barely stand, and he can't write, either. And I can't read his mind." The Elemental Master faced the Wind Sneaker. "We'll just have to take care of him for now while I try and find a way to turn him back. I'll be off." She immediately went back into her room, probably to her books.

"I'll go help." The Rune Slayer followed her, leaving Rena and Raven alone. They let a silence pass before the elf decided to talk.  
>"Really, are you alright? You seem pretty weak, and if you're sick, we can always take you to the vet." This time, she held a hand on his body.<p>

The Veteran Commander mewed, shaking his head. He seemed to be sleepy.  
>"Alright then, I'll make a bed for you in my room." Gently, the Wind Sneaker picked up the little kitten. Once they had reached the elf's room, she pulled out a spare pillow from the wardrobe and setting it beside her own pillow on the bed. Raven tried to make his way from the side of the bed to the pillow, but Rena quickly picked him up.<p>

She placed him on the pillow, and the kitten sunk slightly into it.  
>"Sleep well, okay? I'll try and get something for you to eat from the shops after the rain has died down." The noise was much more bearable inside, but the elf immediately considered it. "Do you want me to help?" Raven could barely shake his head now, and Rena saw his eyes slowly close.<p>

_Well, communicating with him is going to be a lot more difficult now. Let's hope that he gets stronger at least._

* * *

><p><strong>The first thing that came into my mind was a comic where BM finds RF (as a cat) in a cardboard box, and he decides to bring him home. I've had another tour, and since the school year is drawing to a close, writing will most likely slow down, since I'll be occupied with my Blade Master and Reckless Fist. Anyway, that's all I have to say. <strong>


	28. Light

**Light**

**Classes:  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Veteran Commander**

The elf slowly opened her eyes, groaning in pain from her accumulated injuries. _What… happened?_ She attempted to think, to remember recent events that got her wherever she was right now. But her mind was completely blank. It was only when she had completely woken up that she began to feel scared.

All she could see was black.

_Did I go blind?_ She desperately tried to recall. It was there for just a second before disappearing again. Rena attempted to move, but her body immediately protested, gasping in pain before forcing herself to relax again. Everything was still completely black. There could be something out there crawling towards her, waiting to eat her alive.

Finally, a massive demonic cannon came into her mind. Then the explosion when it fired. Then something, or someone, with long black hair jumped at her. Then darkness. Then waking up. _Who was that person? Why does she seem… so familiar?_ Her mind was only slowly waking up, but Rena wasn't patient. She tried to pick up any sounds. There were none that she could hear.

… _Why do I remember that the person was a man? Why did he have long hair? Why did he jump at me? Was he trying to protect me?_ Thoughts swarmed in; it was too much. It was already starting to hurt. But the Wind Sneaker didn't want to pass out. _Please, just hurry up and save me, someone… _

Then the animated image showed. The massive cannon loomed over her; there was no way for her to dodge. Then as it fired a powerful blast, a man with long black hair, also in some kind of uniform, jumped in the way… _Wait, I have his name… It's in my head somewhere…_ Thinking more only hurt her head more, so all she could do was shut her eyes and let the memories come to her instead.

She realised that closing her eyes was a bad idea, because she already could not resist the urge to fall asleep. _Damn it… Raven… where are you…_

"Rena? Are you alright? Rena!" The Wind Sneaker's eyes snapped open at the familiar voice. It was no longer dark. They appeared to be in some kind of forest, but the moon was there. It was not very bright, but it was there. Unfortunately, it turned everything else into shadows, including a figure that was lying not far from her, slowly getting up.

It looked grotesque. The elf had not been so scared in her entire life. Not only was it covered in the blood of its victims, but the blade and the arm. Especially that mechanical arm that seemed to have a glare of its own. Long, wild hair, fearsome eyes, and battle scars were visible.

The other person seemed to detect her emotions.  
>"Rena? What's wrong?" <em>Why does he know my name? Is he out to kill me? <em>The figure, now standing, staggered towards her, almost like a zombie. _Oh no…_  
>"Ugh…" The man had to lean on his blade to continue standing, before he began to cough violently.<p>

_Wait… why does that voice seem familiar? Do I know him? _The Wind Sneaker could do nothing but lie there.  
>"Rena… it's me…" He sounded a lot weaker than before. The vents on his arm opened and flames spewed out, and it was this new light that helped the elf see him a lot more differently.<p>

The blood wasn't those of his victims. It was all his own blood, slowly leaking out of his wound-covered body. His eyes were weary, his hair messy, and the blade covered with black blood. _Why does he look… familiar? Wait…_ She remembered. It was that man that had jumped out at her. The man that had shielded her from most of the damage from that demonic cannon.

"… Raven?" Rena's eyes widened in surprise, and just as it all clicked in her mind, he collapsed, the flames going out, the light going away.

"Raven!" She yelled, attempting to get up. She wanted to see whether he was alright. She wanted to run over to him and treat his wounds; she knew that he always carried bandages with him. Not only did she lack the strength to even move, but…

She didn't have enough light.


	29. Dark

**Dark**

**Classes:  
>Rena: Night Watcher<br>Raven: Veteran Commander**

The darkness was her only safe haven. Rena had grown accustomed to the night; the light of the moon was already enough for her. The sun was too bright, too hot, too unforgiving. Though she already had to accept the fact that almost everything was going to be unforgiving. Such as failing a simple mission.

The darkness almost meant being alone. She did not enjoy the company of others like she did before, especially that man. Said person would always invoke unnecessary emotions that were always meant to be suppressed and forgotten. Sometimes, she mocked him inwardly for not enjoying the night; a crow was black, after all.

Before the Veteran Commander could even utter a word, she rapidly turned around, with Erendil pointing directly at his neck. If she had reacted any later than she did, he would have been bleeding out very, very fast.  
>"What are you doing here? You are meant to be in bed." Her icy tone was like the razor-sharp edge of the blade she wielded in battle.<p>

"I think I should be asking you those questions. What brings you here?"  
>"If you have come here to make sure I was alright, I am extremely capable of taking care of myself, especially in the night."<br>"You know very well that sleep is essential for survival, and I have noted that you have been here for the past few nights. Soon, your mind will fail you in battle."

"Why do you watch me?"  
>"Because I am concerned about you."<br>"Why?"  
>"…" Raven had to consciously stop himself from answering that question. It was almost too much.<p>

"You can't even justify your own words."  
>"I…"<br>"You humans should sleep when it's dark." Now the Veteran Commander could feel his anger rising.  
>"You have no right to decide that. I believe you slept just like we did at first, just like the rest of your kind."<p>

A powerful blast of wind knocked him off his feet and onto his back.  
>"The darkness is something to be cherished, Veteran Commander."<br>"And what of it?"

"The sun is too hot, too bright, too unforgiving, even though many things in this world are unforgiving. You should be adapting to it, too. We are at a war with demons, and they grow stronger at night. You should be training at this time, if anything. What happened to your dedication to your comrades and Seris?"

That was about to set him off, but he had to hold it down. Exploding now wasn't going to help anything.  
>"… Then you'd better thank me if I have to save you on the battlefield. I would have a good reason to defend you." Raven walked away.<p>

At least knowing that Rena was alright gave him relief.


	30. Faith

**Faith**

**Classes:  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Blade Master**

"No, please, don't go… You're not going to ever come back…" The Wind Sneaker begged. Her hand was only gripping his wrist, but it was enough to stop him from moving any more forward.  
>"Why do you say that? I haven't sustained any major injuries ever since we came to Velder."<p>

"Just… please don't…" She turned him around and hugged him tightly, and there was only just enough space for Raven to breathe. Rena didn't want to tell him that she had a horribly nightmare the previous night. She didn't want to tell him that she had sprinted across the battlefield full of the corpses of both demons and soldiers. She didn't want to tell him that she had found his body, covered in blood, with his warmth fading away…

Because the Blade Master wouldn't believe it.

He would have just told her to relax, and that it was just a dream. They weren't necessarily real, and Rena knew that. But what if it was real?  
>"Rena, calm down, and look at me." The Wind Sneaker released her hold, obeying and looking into Raven's golden orange orbs. "Please, have faith in me. I don't die that easily."<p>

"…" She couldn't help the tears that were building in her eyes, and she just hugged him again, crying into his shoulder.  
>"Rena, what's wrong?"<br>"Please, don't go…"

They held that position before Raven spoke.  
>"Sorry, it's time. If I don't leave now, I'll be late."<br>"No, don't go, Raven… I'll never see you again…"  
>"I have to go. I can't just drop out of this."<p>

"Wait, don't go!" She gripped onto his wrist again, but with a forceful pull, he tore his arm away, their fingertips lightly brushing.  
>"I'm sorry, Rena. I promise, I'll come back."<p>

_Rena, stop, this isn't the end of the world. Come on, just have faith that he's going to come back alive…_

"… Okay." She wiped her tears. "Goodbye."

And then he was gone, disappeared into the distance.

* * *

><p><strong>Apologies for not having written anything for Christmas, or for New Years. Since it's the holidays, I've been spending much less time writing and, instead, playing Elsword. Though I may decide to write something to make up for the lack of Christmas or New Years stories on my part... <strong>

**And again, my apologies for not updating for a while. I've been away at New Zealand for a week, then coming back and my Reckless Fist begging me to cap him. That's... all I have to say.**


	31. Colours

**Colours**

**Classes:  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Blade Master**

"Couldn't you at least be a little bit more colourful?" Rena whined.  
>"Why do you say that?"<br>"Your main clothes don't have colour on them at all!"  
>"Black, white and grey are still colours. And you have to count my eyes, too."<p>

"Your eyes don't count. I was talking about your clothes. Black, white and grey are not colours."  
>"Did you ever notice the gold?"<br>"Huh? What gold?"  
>"These." Raven pointed at the edges of his coat as well as on his sleeves.<p>

"But that's only a little bit of colour!" The Blade Master sighed at the Wind Sneaker's reply.  
>"Do I really have to be colourful?"<br>"But why are you not colourful?"  
>"Because… nothing else suits me, I guess."<p>

Rena huffed. "So boring…"  
>"Well, I can't help it, can I?"<br>"Of course you can! Just start wearing more colours!"  
>"… No." She pouted.<br>"Why not?"

"I answered that question earlier."  
>"… Fine." She crossed her arms and turned away. Rena suddenly lit up.<br>"Oh wait, there's a dinner coming up!"  
>"Huh? What dinner?"<p>

"Remember? The king has invited us to dinner to thank us for saving Velder!"  
>"So?"<br>"You can wear more colours then."  
>"Rena, that's a formal occasion! I should only come in my best clothes."<p>

"But you can always wear a bit of colour with your tuxedo."  
>"No." The Blade Master decided to be blunt about it. The Wind Sneaker pouted again.<br>"You could at least-"  
>"No."<p>

That was her umpteenth time she tried to get him to wear something colourful. No matter how much she tried, he would always reply with that answer.


	32. Exploration

**Exploration**

**Classes:  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Blade Master**

"So, Rena."  
>"What is it?"<br>"You spent your first few hundred years in the elven village, right?"  
>"Yes, of course."<p>

"Did you ever wonder what was outside?"  
>"Huh? Oh, there were books, of course. Some of them were pretty mean to you humans."<br>"Enlighten me."  
>"Humans are evil creatures, filled with greed, pride and lust. They would never falter to destroy all in their path to get whatever they wanted. I quote that."<p>

"… That's pretty harsh."  
>"And so I thought, not everyone is like that. I mean, some elves are like that, too."<br>"Wow. Never thought that way. All the picture books in my childhood said that elves were pure creatures who were one with nature."

"That's technically true, but then you have the Night Savers. They're technically one with the night."  
>"You mean that guild of elven assassins?"<br>"Of course."

"Where were we…?" A brief silence as Raven thought. "Oh, right. Did you ever want to go outside the elven village?"  
>"I didn't have much curiosity, since there were quite a lot of those books about the outside world, actually."<p>

"So, you never wanted to explore the world for yourself?"  
>"Well, when I first thought that, I was in the middle of training, so of course I didn't want to leave just yet."<br>"Ah."  
>"But now, I'm with you guys, and I don't regret it one bit."<p>

_I'm glad to hear you say that._ Raven smiled. It took a few moments to realise that he was actually the one making Rena blush.  
>"Oh, sorry." He said awkwardly.<br>"H-huh? Sorry for what?"

"Uh, never mind." He turned away. The Wind Sneaker immediately turned his head back around, held his face and kissed him on the mouth.


	33. Seeing Red

**Seeing Red**

**Classes:  
>Elsword: Rune Slayer<br>Aisha: Void Princess  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Blade Master**

When Rena came back from grocery shopping, the huge mess that she saw made her see red. There were smashed plates littered on the floor, pillows ripped apart and thrown across the room (the living room and the kitchen were joined)… there was even a hole in the window. And all the noise was coming from behind the house.

"ELSWORD! AISHA!" She screamed at them when she arrived, charging at them and attempting to kick the living daylights out of them. The two realised that their fun was gone. Angkor flew around in the air wildly, Elsword ran for his life, and Aisha did her best to teleport away. Shockwaves and kicks flew through the air as the angry elf attempted to hunt them down.

Raven, who was just returning from training, arrived at the scene, and began to watch. Elsword was already begging for mercy as he ran in circles, and usually, it would eventually calm the elf down. This time, it didn't. _Holy El… Rena's going to kill him if she gets to him._ By the time the Blade Master began to run, the Rune Slayer screamed in pain as a kick went right at his balls.

Elsword rolled across the field, unable to get up. The elf quickly caught up, repeatedly assaulting the poor red-head as he continued to cry out. Luckily, Raven was already close enough and tackled Rena to the ground, using his entire body to hold her down. Fortunately, he was also taller than her.

And lastly, she didn't kick him in the groin, either. The Blade Master decided to start talking after the Wind Sneaker had appeared to have calmed down.  
>"Rena? What's wrong?" She blushed immediately and averted his gaze.<br>"… Sorry. Just got really angry. They made a massive mess."

"You could always tell Aisha to clean up. I don't think Elsword can move for a while." Raven got off Rena, finding that the Rune Slayer had already accumulated a few bruises and was close to unconsciousness.  
>"Your kicks really are ferocious. I'll take care of him." The Blade Master walked over to the red-head.<p>

Rena turned to Angkor and Aisha.  
>"Clean up the mess immediately." Her tone bore anger.<br>"But-"  
>"Or do you want me to do that to you?" The elf pointed at Elsword. Raven had rolled him onto his back and the wounds that the Rune Slayer received were clearly seen.<p>

The Void Princess and the bat gulped before they headed back inside. The Blade Master hoped that the Wind Sneaker didn't have such an outburst again.

* * *

><p><strong>Happy New Years, everyone. Thank you for all taking the time to read all of this, and please, leave a review. I enjoy having comments on this. <strong>

**Luckily, writing for this has not stopped, so I haven't given up yet. One of my new year's resolutions would be to finish this all the way to the 100th theme. **

**That's... all I have to say for now. **


	34. Shades of Grey

**Shades of Grey**

**Classes:  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Veteran Commander**

"Hey, Raven, you could try giving me some work for once."  
>"I do."<br>"I mean, you should do less yourself and give more to me. Are you trying to tell me that I'm useless as an assistant?"

"… No, of course not. I already have you running around Velder almost constantly making sure that all of my orders are being carried out and also to help do a bit of the patrolling. You are also delivering letters for me since it is faster than the postage system. I don't wish to exhaust you."

"But I'm perfectly fine, Raven. I have mana-powered legs for a reason, and that's not only for kicking, you know. You don't give me enough work at all." At this, the Veteran Commander looked up from his desk, raising an eyebrow.  
>"Are you sure?"<p>

"Of course I'm sure, what do you think?"  
>"Then…" The half-Nasod looked at the clock. "It's about lunch. The Crow Mercenaries should be scattered across Velder eating either at cafes, restaurants or their own boxed lunches. I want you tell them all to meet at the base so I can brief them on what they will do next. Also tell them to meet at two o'clock sharp, or I will give punishments. Make sure to count every single one you meet, because this is important. Come back here after you are finished."<p>

"How many of them are there again?"  
>"Do you need me to remind you again, even though I told you the exact numbers an hour earlier?"<br>"Um… yes."

"There are fifty of them. Now go. Make sure you travel as fast as you possibly can."  
>"Okay, I'm on it." On the word, Rena rushed out the door.<p>

The Veteran Commander would have usually released his crows that carried the message, but Rena had been so eager to run. _I'm almost using her. It was what she asked for, after all._ He told himself that with a smirk before rising from his desk, walking towards the small refrigerator in his office. _Time to have my own lunch. _

* * *

><p>Rena had stood attentively at the side of the meeting room, listening to Raven give instructions. The Crow Mercenaries had received their first job ever since their rebirth; get rid of a gang that walked around the streets attacking citizens for their money. No one had the strength to take them on, especially because of their large numbers.<p>

"I want you all to patrol the streets for this gang, and your top priority is not to get rid of the gang, but to make sure that no citizens are harmed. Only fight them if you have to, and if one fight breaks out, usually the rest of the members of the gang come over to help. If they are grouped together in such a way, then you are allowed to take them out. Do not use any weapons."

The rest of the Crow Mercenaries nodded.  
>"I trust you are capable of taking them on with your fists. At first, there will be only a small amount of gang members roaming the streets that will gradually increase overtime. Any questions?"<p>

One person raised a hand.  
>"Who sent this job?"<br>"The local government, actually. They have been receiving complaints from the citizens for some time, and have decided to use us instead of the army for this problem. Any other questions?"

Silence.  
>"Your dinner break will be pushed back, because the gang is also the most active during that hour, taking out people on their way to dinner. Start the job now, and make sure you don't slack off or do anything inappropriate. I will know if you do." Raven gave no hint that Rena was going to be watching over them. "Now go."<p>

At his word, the Crow Mercenaries rushed out the door. The half-Nasod and the elf began to make their way back to his office.  
>"And, what do you do? Fight alongside them?"<br>"I have some paperwork still to finish."  
>"You've been working since the morning. How much do you have?"<p>

As they arrived, Raven pointed to two stacks of papers on his desk. One was significantly taller than the other.  
>"And the smaller pile is what you need to get done?"<br>"Yes. Now you need to go and make sure that the Crow Mercenaries are doing what they're supposed to be doing."

"Before I go, can I ask a question?"  
>"Yes?"<br>"How do you lead? I mean, you're good at taking command and handling the responsibilities, but how do you do it?"

"… That's actually a very difficult question to answer." Raven replied at first before thinking. "Everyone commands in a unique way. If I passed the title of Commander onto you, your different leading style would change the Crow Mercenaries. Some people like certain leading styles as well, and that is one way you earn the respect and support of those you lead."

"Can I try?" The Veteran Commander chuckled.  
>"I wouldn't know what you would do to them. Firstly, there is a considerable amount of paperwork to do that will increase as we receive more jobs and get busier. Secondly, as the Crow Mercenaries expand, I will have to promote some members to help me. You will have to assess every single one of them in that case. And you also need to manage the time for that assessment, too."<p>

"There's more, right?"  
>"Of course."<br>"… Damn. It sounds fun, though. And you get more money… wait, why did you send all of the Crow Mercenaries to handle this job? Shouldn't a small amount be sufficient?"

"… Good spotting there. The local government has also informed us of their approximate numbers, which are quite large. It would be better if we outnumbered them in case of a fight."  
>"I see. Then… you also say that different people have different ways of handling their responsibilities?"<p>

"Yes."  
>"Alright, thanks for answering. I thought you were going to get annoyed and just send me off." Just for the fun of it, Rena pecked Raven on the cheek, causing him to turn red.<br>"I'll be monitoring them now, see you later." She ran out, leaving the Veteran Commander slightly dazed.

Really, he was worried about her getting involved in this job. Not only could she get hurt today, but if this expanded into a whole territorial war, she could play a major role in that. And that wouldn't be good.


	35. Forgotten

**Forgotten**

**Classes:  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Veteran Commander**

It had been a century ago, but Rena had no intention of forgetting him. Ever.

And neither did the Crow Mercenaries, who were flourishing after their rebirth. The Wind Sneaker realised that it was his framing and "death" that gradually diminished them, before he rebuilt them again, all by himself. Well, the elf had tried to help, but he was the one who did most the work.

She was now a faithful member of the Crow Mercenaries herself, but she still didn't really want to don the uniform, and the Veteran Commander had allowed that. And when he retired, he passed the position of Commander onto her. It was a good choice, everyone thought, because she had such a long life to go.

And now, the Wind Sneaker understood exactly what Raven was going through in his early days with the Elgang. But this time, there was no one to comfort her. There wasn't someone who played the role as herself in Raven's perspective.

After her usual duties were done, Rena usually found herself at his gravestone, black in colour with black feathers laid along with several flowers. His blade was forever plunged into the ground beside it, and his Nasod arm was buried with him. Several flowers were also lain down; they were most likely from the Crow Mercenaries to pay their respects.

"Raven, I miss you." She had said the same thing every time she visited, but it really was all there was in her mind. "I honestly wish you would smile more, but whenever you did, you looked beautiful." Now her mind had gone back. She was by his side when he died. And he didn't die peacefully, nor painlessly. It was rather the opposite.

It was during the crucial part of a mission when his body suddenly buckled under the Overheating of his arm, and even though the Wind Sneaker had strongly suggested that he take a rest and let her take over, he pushed on. Now, she really wish that she had forced him back.

But even if she did, there was no guarantee that he would be able to Overheat like he did before.  
>"I should have told you when you were alive, that I loved you. I'm sorry. And it's all my fault that you died. I should have stopped you."<p>

Of course, there was no reply. He was somewhere up there. Deciding that she was going to break down if she stayed any longer, she simply left. She didn't want to look back at the graves of her other friends.

* * *

><p><strong>Perhaps it was not the best idea to write that during class. Anyway, that's all I have to say. <strong>


	36. Dreamer

**Dreamer**

**Classes:  
>Rena: Wind Sneaker<br>Raven: Blade Master**

"So, why are you here?" Raven approached Rena.  
>"Huh? It's comfortable, of course. Just lying on the grass and letting the sun warm you up…"<br>"Aren't you too warm? Or worried about going blind?"  
>"Does it look like I'm looking at the sun, Raven?"<p>

"Uh… I guess you're not."  
>"Then lie down next to me."<br>"Well, uh…"  
>"Come on." Rena sat up, pulling at Raven's sleeve and forcing him next to her.<p>

… _Rena's right._ It really was comfortable. The breeze was keeping them cool, and the sun was just over their heads.  
>"Are you really only here because it's comfortable?"<br>"Uh, not really…"

"Then what are you doing?"  
>"Thinking. Dreaming."<br>"What of?" The Wind Sneaker took a breath. The Blade Master was already anticipating a long sort of speech.

"Well, if we were all immortal, to begin with. And if those demons would stop being so persistent. It's not like we can rid of their existence, because they live in a separate realm, but then we'd have to stomp out whatever numbers came into ours."  
>"Ah."<p>

"And also, if we were all immortal, we would be able to just have each other's company. It's not so painful for me anymore if we were all immortal, because while you would die in a few decades, I would have centuries left to live. And I would be pretty lonely."  
>"Alright. Say if you could choose one of us to be immortal, or have an elven lifespan of yours. Who would you choose and why?"<p>

Rena knew that this was her chance. It was either do it now, or never again.  
>"You, because…" At this, Raven felt his facial heat rise. He could probably already guess the reason. The Wind Sneaker couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, but at least the Blade Master got the message.<p>

"Uh, alright then… Sorry, that was rather sudden. I just needed a bit of time to recover. I'll just say that I return those feelings too." He looked at her straight in the eyes, and she couldn't tear away from his gaze.

It really was like a dream come true.


End file.
